## 4 Discussion
A method for the treatment of obesity is the application of Orlistat, i.e., a drug that inhibits the activity of pancreatic lipase, which, however, can cause serious side effects such as the development of kidney diseases [36]. Compounds that inhibit pancreatic lipase include peptides [37], polyphenols [38], and essential oils [39]. In our study, we investigated the effect of elicitation on the lipase inhibitory activity of essential oils obtained from basil. The current data on oils as pancreatic lipase inhibitors mainly relate to plant extracts, and the main goal of the research is to investigate the influence of various solvents on the acquisition of extracts with high inhibitory properties [40]; however, there is no information on the effect of elicitation on their activity. As demonstrated by the results obtained in our experiment, the greatest effect on the potential anti-obesity activity was exerted by JA2, with an IC\({}_{50}\) value of 0.09 \(\mu\)L/mL (Table 1). It should be noted that all the tested samples exhibited lipase inhibitory activity, but the elicitation enhanced this property. The results indicate that lettuce leaf basil is a good source of essential oils with lipase inhibitory properties, compared to the results obtained by [10] in investigations of essential oils obtained from _Cinnamoun chemungianum_ originating from different locations in the southern Western Ghats. The plants collected from Chemungi, Kannikatti, and Athirumala were tested and their ability to inhibit lipase was determined, with IC\({}_{50}\) of 919.75, 923.17, and 838.46 \(\mu\)g/mL, respectively. The inhibition of \(\alpha\)-amylase or \(\alpha\)-glucosidase, i.e., enzymes involved in the digestion of carbohydrates, is considered a strategy for the treatment of type 2 diabetes and obesity. There are some reports documenting the antidiabetic potential of essential oils from some medicinal plants in both in vitro (via inhibition of \(\alpha\)-amylase or \(\alpha\)-glucosidase) and in vivo studies [35; 36]. Our study confirmed these reports, as the EOs from lettuce leaf basil also acted as \(\alpha\)-amylase or \(\alpha\)-glucosidase inhibitors, with a greater observed inhibitory activity against \(\alpha\)-glucosidase-Table 2. It should also be noted that the JA elicitation improved the anti-\(\alpha\)-amylase potential of the analyzed EOs. The contribution to the antidiabetic potential of essential oils, based on literature data, is attributed to such compounds as D-limonene and linalool [41], which are present in the basil EOs analyzed in the present study [11]. As indicated in our previous publication, these activities may be connected with the increased content of some components of essential oils. For example, all JA-elicited samples have much better \(\alpha\)-amylase-inhibiting properties, which may be partially correlated with the higher content of D-limonene (JA3 sample) or linalool (JA1 and JA3 sample) in the studied essential oil [22]. However, the correlation analysis confirmed only a moderate positive correlation between the anti-\(\alpha\)-amylase activity and the linalool content in the essential oils tested, R\({}^{2}\) = 0.44 (data not published). The in vitro antidiabetic and anti-obesity properties of basil essential oils were also confirmed in a study conducted by [PERSON] et al. [20]. Their ability to suppress endogenous glucose release was found to contribute to the inhibition of glycogenolysis and/or stimulation of glycogenesis. The antidiabetic properties of basil were also investigated in an in vivo study conducted by [PERSON] et al. [11]. Therefore, in light of the literature, basil is a very valuable herb for use in such health conditions as diabetes and Alzheimer's disease [14; 21]. The research obtained in this work confirms these observations. The elicitation (which is a new method in this type of research) makes the essential oil obtained from the elicited basil an even more valuable ingredient for use in the above-mentioned diseases.