Author(s)

S. Kitchlu, Rekha Bhadauria, Gandhi Ram, Kushal Bindu, Ravi K. Khajuria, Ashok Ahuja

Biodiversity & Applied Botany Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India.
Instrumentation Division, CSIR-Indian Institute of Integrative Medicine, Jammu, India.
School of Studies in Botany, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, India.

Evaluation of thirty one core collections of Ocimum sanctum L. synonyms O. tenuiflorum L. collected from different ecological regions representing contrasting environment of India was carried out. All the collections were grown under sub-tropical region of Jammu, India. Study revealed wide range of variability in quantitive and qualitative attributes of oil. Essential oil content ranged between 0.16% ± 0.01% - 0.55% ± 0.08% showing the presence of fifteen constituents. Methyl eugenol (1.54% - 93.16%) and Eugenol (0.06% - 70.41%), were the major constituent. The other major constituent of the oil was β-Caryophyllene (4.60% - 33.77%) which was detected in almost all the collections. Borneol, Copane, α Caryophyllene were other constituents detected in almost all the accessions. α selinene was detected in traces in only three accessions (OS-01, OS-03, OS-50) and β-selinene was detected in four accessions (OS-01, OS-03, OS-50, OS-72. Accession OS-70 collected from Patna, showed distinct chemical profile having β-Elemene (32.81%), β-Cary- ophyllene (16.37%), Germacrene-D (18.05%), β-Ocimene (17.69%) and Copane (5.738%). Being distinct in oil profiling, Patna collection was designated as distinct chemotype. Collections OS-50 from Gwalior from Central India and OS-59 from Rajkot Western India have been identified as methyl eugenol (93.16%) and eugenol (70.41%) rich geno- types. The data collected provided useful information with respect to composition of essential oil among core collection evaluated representing various agro-climatic zones.

β-Caryophyllene; Chemotype; Eugenol; Germacrene-D; Methyl Eugenol; β-Ocimene; Variability

Kitchlu, S. , Bhadauria, R. , Ram, G. , Bindu, K. , Khajuria, R. and Ahuja, A. (2013) Chemo-Divergence in Essential Oil Composition among Thirty One Core Collections of Ocimum sanctum L. Grown under Sub-Tropical Region of Jammu, India. American Journal of Plant Sciences, 4, 302-308. doi: 10.4236/ajps.2013.42040.