AUTHOR(S) / АУТОР(И): Brankica Kartalović 
, Mirjana Vujasinović , Antonije Žunić
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.46793/SBT26.539K
ABSTRACT / САЖЕТАК:
Basil (Ocimum basilicum) is sensitive to water quality, particularly in drought-prone regions, and exhibits pronounced metabolic plasticity in response to salinity stress, which significantly affects its growth and aromatic profile. Two genotypes (Greek, Sweet) were cultivated under controlled conditions and irrigated with rainwater enriched with NaCl (0, 40, and 80 mM). Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) were analyzed directly from native plant material using headspace gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-GC-MS) in scan mode. Nineteen VOCs were identified, revealing distinct genotype-specific chemotypes: sesquiterpenes predominated in Sweet (70.39%) and phenols in Greek basil (59.15%). Increasing salinity systematically enhanced monoterpene and phenolic fractions while reducing sesquiterpene abundance. Key compounds, including eucalyptol, β-pinene, cis-β-farnesene, and eugenol, showed pronounced salinity-dependent modulation, indicating their role in stress adaptation and interplant signaling. These findings provide insights into genotype-specific VOC responses under salinity and highlight rainwater as a suitable irrigation matrix for controlled studies. Tested basil genotypes showed a broad and shifting response to salinity—its compounds change in complex, genotype‑dependent ways, with some molecules rising and others declining, reflecting both stress adaptation and altered chemical signaling.
KEYWORDS / КЉУЧНЕ РЕЧИ:
Ocimum basilicum, voc, water, quality, HS-GC-MS
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT / ПРОЈЕКАТ:
The research presented in this article is part of the project [3429-4/01-3/2025], financially supported by the Provincial Secretariat for Higher Education, Science and Technological Development of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina.
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