Production, Composition, and Ecological Function of Sweet-Basil-Seed Mucilage during Hydration
The sweet-basil (Ocimum basilicum acupatch L.) fruit/pericarp produces mucilage that engulfs the fruit and seed within minutes of hydration.Seed mucilage is produced by plant species that have adapted to arid, sandy soils.This study was conducted to determine how basil-seed mucilage improves ecological fitness.A second objective was to find ways to