Essential Oil Composition in Leaves of Ocimum Species Found in Western Maharashtra, India

Essential oil (EO) of Ocimum species has several industrial applications and is used in drug, perfumery, food and flavour, aromatherapy, cosmeceutical and pesticidal industry. Ocimum species are rich in EO with major constituent eugenol, linalool, methyl eugenol, citral and camphor. EO compositions of O. basilicum, O. gratissimum, O. kilimandscharicum and O. tenuiflorum were analysed by using GC-MS. Considerable differences in chemical composition and oil content were observed in studied species. The therapeutically active compound eugenol is observed as a major compound in O. basilicum (26.76 %) and O. gratissimum (89.75 %) and methyl eugenol majorly found in O. tenuiflorum (84.99 %). Major compounds camphor (23.37 %) and β-copaene (34.82 %) are characterised and identified in O. kilimandscharicum. Two compounds viz. 2,6-Octadienal, 3,7-dimethyl-, (Z)-(20.01 %) and citral (20.11 %) were observed as major constituent in O. basilicum. Total 24 compounds characterised and identified in O. basilicum, 14 compounds in O. gratissimum, 17 in O. kilimandscharicum and 16 compounds in O. tenuiflorum.