Nutrient limitation as a tool for the induction of secondary metabolites with antioxidant activity in basil cultivars

•Different basil cultivars were grown in vitro under limited mineral nutrition.•Reduced mineral content decreased lipid peroxidation, increased PAL activity, and induced synthesis of phenolic compounds.•‘Genovese’ basil produced the highest content of rosmarinic acid.•‘Small leaved’ basil produced the highest content of caffeic acid with significant antioxidant activity.•Basil roots are prominent sources of bioactive compounds.