Abstract

Basil (Ocimum basilicum L.) is an annual herb and one of the most important medicinal and aromatic plants that are widely used in many fields. Basil is not only considered as a medicinal plant in all around the world, but also used in many countries as a leafy vegetable due to their dietary minerals. In this experiment, mineral nutrients of 14 different Ocimum basilicum landraces were investigated. Results of analysis of variance indicated that there were highly significant differences (P<0.01) among landraces for all measured mineral elements. The highest amount of phosphorous, iron and zinc was measured in ‘Dastgerd’, ‘Afghani’ and ‘Ardestan’ landraces, respectively. Meanwhile ‘Mashhad 1’ landraces had the lowest concentrations of potassium and manganese. The relative order of mineral nutrient in basil leaves was K > P > Fe > Zn > Mn. According to average concentration of P, K, Mn, Fe and Zn in studied landraces, it was estimated that consumption of basil landraces could provide about 3.35, 32.38, 17, 16.4 and 4.5% of the total RDA of these nutrients. Cluster analysis upon similarities and dissimilarities separated landraces in three groups. The clusters 1, 2 and 3 had 7, 4 and 3 landraces, respectively. In general, data obtained in this study emphasized that the basil could be a good source of mineral and supply mineral nutrient to the body. Also this variation can be used in breeding programme for improvement of quality traits of basil.