![Sample our Physical Sciences journals, sign in here to start your FREE access for 14 days]({"type":"image" , "src" : "/sda/110819/TOC-Subject-Sample-2021-Physical-Sciences.jpg"})
Abstract
The aromatic and curative properties of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) are mainly related to the contents and chemical composition of essential oil. This substance may undergo quantitative and qualitative changes under the influence of various factors, among others, the agrotechnical and environmental ones. The subject of the foregoing studies was determining the effect of foliar nitrogen application (0.5% urea solution) upon the contents and chemical composition of the essential oil of the herb from the plants of four sweet basil cultivars grown in an unheated polyethylene (PE) foil tunnel. The application of urea was performed four times, in 10-day intervals, starting from the third decade in May. The volatile oil was extracted from the dried material by herb distillation with water vapor. The sample of oils were analyzed by using gas chromatography–flame ionization detector (GC–FID) and GC/mass spectrometry (GC/MS). No significant effect of foliar nitrogen application upon the quantity of oil accumulated by basil plants was revealed. The predominant component of the essential oil from the examined basil cultivars was linalool, whose share ranged from 60.6% to 75.9%, depending on the cultivar and the applied nitrogen fertilization procedure. Nitrogen application generally contributed to the decrease in the contents of main basil volatile oil components.