The Contribution of Basil Essential Oil and Ascorbic Acid Application to the Preservation of Fresh Basil During Shelf Life

Fresh basil is a widely used herb with distinct attributes (aroma and taste); however, it has a quite limited shelf life. The investigation and use of natural products to preserve fresh commodities is gradually increasing over the years. The current work aimed to investigate the impacts of basil essential oils (EOs) and ascorbic acid (AA) (at varying concentrations and times of submersion) on the quality characteristics of fresh basil stored for 6 days at 4°C. Basil respiration rates were increased with AA application (0.5%-5 min). Basil's EO profile was changed during the storage period, with the three main components to be linalool, eucalyptol and eugenol. Among the applied treatments, basil EO 1 min (0.001% and 0.01%), AA 1%-1 min, and AA 0.5%-5 min resulted in increased antioxidant capacity and total flavonoids content of fresh basil. This increase suggests a product with increased nutritional value. In addition, both AA and basil EO applications were able to lower the microbial load (aerobic plate count, yeast and filamentous fungi) of fresh basil, contributing to the product's storability. Overall, the examined natural products (AA and basil EO) could be considered as putative postharvest preservative means for fresh basil. However, such applications should be further investigated for commercialization and upscaling as well as for other types of commodities and herbs.