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Ocimum basilicum L. (Basil)

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Medicinal, Aromatic and Stimulant Plants

Part of the book series: Handbook of Plant Breeding ((HBPB,volume 12))

Abstract

Basil, better known as “the king of herbs,” is widespread today in almost every home garden and is a leading spice worldwide, used for culinary purposes both dried and fresh. It is a source of essential oils and other valuable antioxidant and phenolic compounds and a medicinal herb with a history of tales and lore. In India, basil is considered sacred; in Italy, it is a symbol of love; in ancient Greece, it is a symbol of hatred; and in Judaism, it is one of the scented spices used during the “Havdalah” service, the ceremony performed to mark the end of the holy Sabbath. In the following chapter, we will discuss the genus Ocimum and concentrate on the breeding efforts and approaches that are undertaken by many scientists and researchers worldwide that made the “king of herbs” into a global economy and profitable industry.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Unit of Aromatic and Medicinal Plants, Newe Ya’ar Research Center, ARO, Ramat-Yishay, Israel

    Nativ Dudai & Itay Gonda

  2. Deptartment of Plant Pathology, Valley of Springs Research & Extension Center, Bet She’an, Israel

    Nadav Nitzan

Authors
  1. Nativ Dudai
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  2. Nadav Nitzan
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  3. Itay Gonda
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Institute for Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, Vienna, Austria

    Johannes Novak

  2. Dr. Junghanns GmbH, Aschersleben, Germany

    Wolf-Dieter Blüthner

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Dudai, N., Nitzan, N., Gonda, I. (2020). Ocimum basilicum L. (Basil). In: Novak, J., Blüthner, WD. (eds) Medicinal, Aromatic and Stimulant Plants. Handbook of Plant Breeding, vol 12. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-38792-1_10

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