Preharvest temperature treatments influence physiological traits, secondary metabolites, and volatile compounds in holy basil under controlled environment conditions
6 affiliations
- 1Department of Horticulture, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University
- 2Department of Agricultural Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, Kasetsart University
- 3National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC), National Science and Technology Development Agency
- 4National Science and Technology Development Agency
- 5Food Biotechnology Research Team, Functional Ingredients and Food Innovation Research Group, National Center for Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology (BIOTEC)
- 6Laboratory of Vegetable Crop Science, College of Agriculture, Graduate School of Sciences and Technology for Innovation, Yamaguchi University
Abstract
Temperature is a major environmental factor influencing plant growth, physiological performance, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis in medicinal plants. This study investigated the effects of low (18 °C), control (25 °C), and high (32 °C) temperature treatments on the growth, physiological responses, antioxidant activity, photosynthetic pigments, and volatile compound profiles of red holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) grown under controlled environment conditions. Plants were evaluated at 3, 6, 9, and 12 days after treatment (DAT). Temperature significantly affected plant morphology, biomass accumulation, gas exchange parameters, secondary metabolites, and volatile compounds. Low temperature promoted stem elongation and markedly enhanced total phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin, and DPPH radical scavenging activity, with the highest total phenolic content at 9 DAT. In contrast, the control temperature resulted in the greatest shoot biomass accumulation and continuous increases in the contents of linalool and eugenol. High temperature enhanced photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, SPAD, and NDVI values during the early treatment stages, while increasing β-caryophyllene and α-humulene accumulation at later stages. Heatmap and principal component analyses revealed distinct clustering patterns associated with temperature and treatment duration. These findings provide valuable insights into precision temperature management under controlled environment agriculture for optimizing biomass production and enhancing the accumulation of high-value bioactive compounds in red holy basil for pharmaceutical, food, and cosmeceutical applications.
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BibTeX
@article{boonkorkaew2026preharvest,
title = {{Preharvest temperature treatments influence physiological traits, secondary metabolites, and volatile compounds in holy basil under controlled environment conditions}},
author = {Patchareeya Boonkorkaew and Niafnan Hayi-asan and Akira Thongtip and Wannida Sae-tang and Atikorn Panya and Natthaporn Phonsatta and Sujichon Thangvichien and Prapussorn Yingcharoen and Masayoshi Shigyo and Panita Chutimanukul},
journal = {Scientific Reports},
year = {2026},
month = jul,
doi = {10.1038/s41598-026-63137-3},
url = {https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-63137-3},
note = {CC BY},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Preharvest temperature treatments influence physiological traits, secondary metabolites, and volatile compounds in holy basil under controlled environment conditions
AU - Patchareeya Boonkorkaew
AU - Niafnan Hayi-asan
AU - Akira Thongtip
AU - Wannida Sae-tang
AU - Atikorn Panya
AU - Natthaporn Phonsatta
AU - Sujichon Thangvichien
AU - Prapussorn Yingcharoen
AU - Masayoshi Shigyo
AU - Panita Chutimanukul
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/07/01
JO - Scientific Reports
DO - 10.1038/s41598-026-63137-3
UR - https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-026-63137-3
AB - Temperature is a major environmental factor influencing plant growth, physiological performance, and secondary metabolite biosynthesis in medicinal plants. This study investigated the effects of low (18 °C), control (25 °C), and high (32 °C) temperature treatments on the growth, physiological responses, antioxidant activity, photosynthetic pigments, and volatile compound profiles of red holy basil (Ocimum tenuiflorum L.) grown under controlled environment conditions. Plants were evaluated at 3, 6, 9, and 12 days after treatment (DAT). Temperature significantly affected plant morphology, biomass accumulation, gas exchange parameters, secondary metabolites, and volatile compounds. Low temperature promoted stem elongation and markedly enhanced total phenolic, flavonoid, anthocyanin, and DPPH radical scavenging activity, with the highest total phenolic content at 9 DAT. In contrast, the control temperature resulted in the greatest shoot biomass accumulation and continuous increases in the contents of linalool and eugenol. High temperature enhanced photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, SPAD, and NDVI values during the early treatment stages, while increasing β-caryophyllene and α-humulene accumulation at later stages. Heatmap and principal component analyses revealed distinct clustering patterns associated with temperature and treatment duration. These findings provide valuable insights into precision temperature management under controlled environment agriculture for optimizing biomass production and enhancing the accumulation of high-value bioactive compounds in red holy basil for pharmaceutical, food, and cosmeceutical applications.
SN - 2045-2322
ER -