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Black tea is one of the commonly consumed beverages obtained from the oxidized leaves of Camellia sinensis assamica. It is commonly infused in India with basil leaves (Ocimum spp.) to enhance its flavor and medicinal properties. Leaves from different species of Ocimum are used for supplementing black tea but the antioxidant interaction between them is under-investigated. This study was designed to evaluate the antioxidant interaction and radical scavenging potential of the binary combination of black tea (BT) with three different Ocimum spp. employing chemical methods and ex-vivo assays. Black tea and O. gratissimum (BTOG) pair displayed the strongest antioxidant activity and additive interaction, whereas black tea and O. sanctum (BTOS) pair, and black tea and O. canum (BTOC) pair demonstrated substantially lower radical quenching ability and antagonistic interaction. BTOG contained the highest total phenolic and flavonoid content in comparison to BTOS and BTOC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]