Methyleugenol in Ocimum basilicum L. cv. Genovese Gigante

Ocimum basilicum cv. Genovese Gigante is the basil cultivar used the most i n the production of a typical Italian sauce called pesto. The aromatic;atic composition of plants at different growth stages was determined. Plants fr om different areas of northwestern Italy were analyzed at 4 and 6 weeks aft er sowing and showed methyleugenol and eugenol as the main components. The content of these compounds was correlated with plant height rather than pla nt age. Particularly, methyleugenol was predominant in plants up to 10 cm i n height, whereas eugenol was prevalent in taller plants. These results are important in the evaluation of risk to human health posed by dietary inges tion of methyleugenol contained in pesto.