Essay On Basil Tea

Abstract: Ocimum blend/flavourant tea is most consumable breakfast beverage in India. It is very popular tea flavouring herb Ocimum sanctum known as "Tulsi" or "Holy Basil" in India, along with seven other species/cultivar dried under shed and in a natural convention cabinet drier at 40C, with various blanching treatments. Thermal (Deep freeze- liq. N2, dry-hot air and wet heat-boil H2O) and chemical (NaCl, NaHCO3 and CaOCl2) treatments studied for their effect on optimum antioxidant potential. The abundance of antioxidant constituents varied in different Ocimum spp/cultivars and follows the order- Caffeic acid (CA) and rosmarinic acid (RA) in O. sanctum-CIM Ayu (OSAy) and rutin in O. gratissimum [OG]. Blanching treatments severely degraded all the three major Ocimum phenolics. Surprisingly 77% increased CA content,

Post-harvest blanching treatment and extraction
The freshly harvested Ocimum aerial parts dried under shed and powdered. For the postharvest blanching, experiment samples of 5.0 gm of samples taken for each treatment. The following drying and blanching experimental performed:
a) RT- dried at room temp for 5 days (No-blanching);
b) Hot Air- without any treatment hot air drying at 40C for 5 days;
c) Liq. N2- Shock freezing with liquid nitrogen followed by freeze drying (-80C) for 5 days;
d) CaOCl2- dipped in CaOCl2 solution (2.5%, w/v) for 3 min followed by hot air drying at 40C for 5 days;
e) NaHCO3- dipped in NaHCO3 solution (2.5%, w/v) for 3 min followed by hot air drying at 40C for 5 days
f) NaCl - dipped in NaCl solution (2.5%, w/v) for 3 min followed by hot air drying at 40C for 5 days
g) Boiling water- dipped in boiling water for 5 min followed by hot air drying at 40C for 5 days
Relative humidity, temperature and weight loss monitored during drying process. After complete drying (constant weight) ,samples prepared for HPLC analysis using ultrasonic assisted extraction (UAE) method.
2.6. Free radical and antioxidant