Long Way Education

By Eman Abdallah Kamel

Contact the author: emanabdallahkamel@gmail.com

Eman is a writer and an engineer. She is interested in searching and writing about plants and their facts.

Basil is a fascinating natural herb. In this article, you will learn about the production stages: cultivation, harvesting, packing, and holding. As well as nutritional facts and the health benefits of basil.

Basil

Basil is a member of the mint family. There are many types of basil as well as several related species, including sweet basil, lime basil, cardinal basil, cinnamon basil, green basil, green ruffles basil, lemon basil, lettuce leaf basil, purple ruffles basil, spicy saber basil, Egyptian basil (Reunion) and Thai basil.

Basil is called in Arabic (Rayhan) and is mentioned twice in the Holy Quran in (Surah 55: Ar-Rahman (The Beneficent), verse 12) and (Surah 56: Al-Waqiah (The Inevitable), verse 89).

There are many uses for basil, including ornamental, medicinal, and culinary purposes.

Basil is grown in many Asian and Mediterranean countries. In Egypt, Hungary, Indonesia, and Morocco, basil is widely cultivated. The Basil plant is also grown in large quantities in different regions of South Africa, Mexico, Iran, and India.

Growing basil commercially is most common in the west and southern states of the United States where the climate is suitable, such as Arizona, California, Florida, New Mexico, and North Carolina.

The highest quality crops are grown in the United States, and their scents are among the best. Most of the production and imports come from the United States.

Let’s learn more about this fascinating plant.

Scientific Classification

Kingdom	Plantae
Clade	Tracheophytes
Clade	Angiosperms
Clade	Eudicots
Clade	Asterids
Order	Lamiales
Family	Lamiaceae
Genus	Ocimum
Species	O. basilicum

Description

The basil plant has square, branched stems, opposite leaves, and brown or black seeds. Sweet basil, Italian basil, and leaf lettuce basil can grow 2 to 3 feet tall.

Lemon basil, tree basil, dwarf basil, and spicy basil grow 8 to 12 inches in height and width. Reddish-purple variations like dark agate and purple ruffles tend to be medium-sized, bearing purple rather than white flowers.

Production Stages

1. Cultivation,
2. Harvesting,
3. Packing,
4. Holding.

1. Cultivation

Most cooking and ornamental basil are varieties of Ocimum basilicum, such as anise, licorice, lettuce leaf, cinnamon, dark opal, Rubin, purple, Thai, globe, and dwarf basil. Other species are also grown, and many hybrids exist between them.

Basil grows in climates with temperatures ranging from 45˚F to 80˚F. This herbaceous annual is susceptible to frost and hail injuries. The plant grows best on sunny days with well-drained soil.

Basil seeds can be sown directly or planted in the field in late spring. Rows are planted 25 to 35 inches apart, with 6 inches spacing. Basil can also be grown in raised tubs in rows of three lines.

The soil is kept moist to improve plant growth. Germination occurs within 8 to 14 days after planting seeds. At first, the plant grows slowly, but after the first few sets of leaves appear, the growth increases dramatically.

Drip irrigation is preferred because it reduces damage to leaves due to moisture coming into contact with them.

Basil fertilization depends on the type of soil and the type of the previous crop. Use fertilizers that provide nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium.

Currently, organic methods are used to eradicate pests, such as biological control using beneficial insects or bacteria, insecticidal soaps, plant extracts, pest traps, manual removal of pests, and organic insecticides.

2. harvesting

According to the plant’s use, the part of the plant to be harvested and the time of harvest will vary. For example, for dried basil leaves, the plant is cut just before the flowers appear. For producing basil essential oil, the plant is harvested when the flowers are in full bloom.

It is possible to harvest three to five times per year in a warm climate. Usually, in early summer, but in cooler climates, the growing season may allow only two cuttings per year; before flowering.

In large trade operations, basil plants are cut 4 to 5 inches above the ground to allow for regrowth.

3. Packing

If marketed fresh, leaves are washed, and cleaned, and all weeds are removed.

Large-sized boxes of basil are packed in the field and transported to storage rooms below 50°F for short periods without spoiling. Then they are shipped to the packing store, and the plants are sorted by hand and placed in small boxes for retail sales. The herbs are encapsulated to ensure their safety.

4. Holding

For dried herbs, dry the leaves at a low temperature under forced air to retain maximum color before milling or distilling to extract basil essential oil.

Nutritional Value per 100 g (3.5 oz) of Fresh Basil

Vitamins	Quantity	Minerals	Quantity
Vitamin A equiv	264 μg	Calcium	177 mg
Beta-Carotene	3142 μg	Copper	0.385 mg
Thiamine (B1)	0.034 mg	Iron	3.17 mg
Riboflavin (B2)	0.076 mg	Magnesium	64 mg
Niacin (B3)	0.902 mg	Manganese	1.148 mg
Pantothenic acid (B5)	0.209 mg	Phosphorus	56 mg
Vitamin B6	0.155 mg	Potassium	295 mg
Folate (B9)	68 μg	Selenium	0.3 μg
Choline	11.4 mg	Sodium	4 mg
Vitamin C	18.0 mg	Zinc	0.81 mg
Vitamin E	0.80 mg
Vitamin K	414.8 μg

Health Benefits of Basil

Researchers have conducted many studies on basil to extract its health benefits, which can be summarized as follows:

1. Basil works mainly on the digestive and nervous systems. It relieves flatulence, stomach cramps, and indigestion. Basil relieves nausea and vomiting and helps to kill intestinal worms.
2. Basil has excellent anti-malarial properties; eugenol is the main ingredient responsible for its mosquito-repellent properties.
3. Basil leaf paste is effective against ringworm and removes marks on the face. The presence of ursolic acid in the leaves helps remove wrinkles and restore skin elasticity.
4. Boiled basil leaves are used against liver disorders and gastritis. The juice of basil leaves is used to treat dysentery, night blindness, and conjunctivitis. Basil essential oils are 100% larvicidal.
5. In addition to healing wounds and sores, basil is extremely effective at removing parasites and worms.
6. It provides several antioxidants and helps fight free-radical damage. Oxygen-free radicals are naturally occurring physiological products containing one or more non-duplex electrons, along with reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are harmful to important membrane fats, proteins, carbohydrates, and DNA. This damage has been linked to many diseases, such as atherosclerosis, cirrhosis, cancer, and diabetes. Nutritional antioxidants.
7. Many researchers have mentioned basil’s anti-cancer properties. The flavonoids in basil offer cellular protection from cancer. Water-soluble flavonoids from basil have been shown to protect cell structures and chromosomes from radiation.
8. Research has proven beneficial in treating irritability, fatigue, depression, and anxiety. It can also be taken to treat migraines and whooping cough.
9. Basil contains many important essential oil compounds, such as linalool, eugenol, citral, limonene, and methyl cinnamate. These aromatic compounds protect the lawn from insects, bacteria, and fungi. Likewise, it can help protect against diseases caused by fungi, bacteria, and insects. In studies involving cell culture, basil essential oils have shown antimicrobial activity by damaging bacterial cell walls and stimulating cell lysis. Pathogenic bacteria can cause diseases such as pneumonia, urinary tract infections, food poisoning, and dysentery.
10. Formaldehyde-induced arthritis has been studied in rats to evaluate the anti-inflammatory activity of fixed basil oil. The static oil greatly reduced the diameter of the flared claw. There was a clear progression in the improvement in the incidence of arthritis in mice.
11. Basil boosts the immune reaction by improving cellular and humoral immunity, as steam-distilled basil essential oil altered the humoral immune response in albino rats.
12. A study on neem and basil leaves mixed showed that this blend significantly lowered the sugar level in people with diabetes.
13. Basil extracts slow platelet aggregation and clotting, indicating its ability to prevent strokes and heart attacks.
14. Basil may also be an antipyretic. The antipyretic effect of basil oil extracted from the seeds was examined in mice against fever induced by the typhoid vaccine, showing that basil significantly reduces fever.

The Uses of Basil in Food

Sweet basil (Genovese basil) is used more often as a flavor, compared with Thai basil (O. basilicum var. thyrsiflora), lemon basil (O. × citriodorum), and African blue basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum).

It is preferable when using basil to add it at the end of cooking to not lose the volatile oils during boiling. If the dried leaves lose their flavor, restore them by heating them again in the oven at the lowest temperature for a few minutes or until they smell fragrant.

The following are some ways to cook with basil:

• Chopped basil is added to salads.
• Chopped fresh basil is sprinkled over the pizza.
• Basil is added to soups and tomato sauces.
• As a sauce, basil can be mixed with olive oil and chopped garlic.
• Basil leaves can be mixed with other herbs, such as thyme, paprika, mustard, parsley, pepper, sage, rosemary, and thyme.
• Basil can also be used in rice, fish, poultry, and meat.

Precautions to Take

1. One tablespoon of basil provides 10.8 micrograms of vitamin K, which plays a role in blood clotting. This ranges from 9% to 12% of adults daily. High levels of vitamin K can affect the action of some medicines. Persons who use blood thinners should speak to a doctor before increasing their basil intake.
2. Some people suffer from allergies if they eat herbs from the mint family. People with this type of sensitivity should avoid basil as much as possible.

Sources

• quran.com
• usda.gov… United States Department of Agriculture.
• www.nda.agric.za.pdf. Agriculture, forestry, and fisheries. The Republic of South Africa.
• researchgate.net. Basil is A natural source of antioxidants and nutraceuticals.
• medicalnewstoday.com

©Eman Abdallah Kamel, 2023

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