Basil Seeds as a Novel Food, Source of Nutrients and Functional Ingredients with Beneficial Properties: A Review

• Main Authors: Héctor Calderón Bravo, Natalia Vera Céspedes, Liliana Zura-Bravo, Loreto A. Muñoz
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2021-06-01
• Series: Foods
• Subjects: basil seed; functional ingredients; <i>Ocimum basilicum</i> L.; oilseed; novel food
• Online Access: https://www.mdpi.com/2304-8158/10/7/1467

Basil (<i>Ocimum basilicum</i> L.) is found worldwide and is used in the food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries; however, the nutritional and functional properties of the seeds are scarcely known. Basil seeds contain high concentrations of proteins (11.4–22.5 g/100 g), with all the essential amino acids except S-containing types and tryptophan; dietary fiber (soluble and insoluble) ranging from 7.11 to 26.2 g/100 g lipids, with linoleic (12–85.6 g/100 g) and linolenic fatty acids (0.3–75 g/100 g) comprising the highest proportions; minerals, such as calcium, potassium, and magnesium, in high amounts; and phenolic compounds, such as orientine, vicentine, and rosmarinic acid. In addition, their consumption is associated with several health benefits, such as the prevention of type-2 diabetes, cardio-protection, antioxidant and antimicrobial effects, and anti-inflammatory, antiulcer, anticoagulant, and anti-depressant properties, among others. The focus of this systematic review was to study the current state of knowledge and explore the enormous potential of basil seeds as a functional food and source of functional ingredients to be incorporated into foods.