Effect of Cymbopogon martinii, Foeniculum vulgare, and Trachyspermum ammi Essential Oils on the Growth and Mycotoxins Production by Aspergillus Species
This study was performed to investigate effect of essential oils on Aspergillus spore germination, growth, and mycotoxin production. In vitro antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic activities of Cymbopogon martinii, Foeniculum vulgare, and Trachyspermum ammi essential oils were carried out on toxigenic strains of Aspergillus species. Plant materials were hydrodistilled for 4-5？h in Clevenger apparatus. 0.25？μL/mL, 0.5？μL/mL, 1？μL/mL, 2？μL/mL, and 4？μL/mL concentrations of each essential oil were prepared in 0.1% Tween 80 (V/V). T. ammi oil showed highest antifungal activity. Absolute mycelial inhibition was recorded at 1？μL/mL by essential oils of T. ammi. The oil also showed complete inhibition of spore germination at a concentration of 2？μL/mL. In addition, T. ammi oil showed significant antiaflatoxigenic potency by totally inhibiting toxin production from A. niger and A. flavus at 0.5 and 0.75？μL/mL, respectively. C. martinii, F. vulgare, and T. ammi oils as antifungals were found superior over synthetic preservative. Moreover, a concentration of 5336.297？μL/kg body weight was recorded for LC50 on mice indicating the low mammalian toxicity. In conclusion, the essential oils from T. ammi can be a potential source of safe natural food preservative for food commodities contamination by Aspergillus species. 1. Introduction Food borne diseases caused by fungal pathogens are still the major public health problems in this era of advancement in food production technologies [1]. Quarter of the world’s food commodities have been wasted due to the contamination by toxic fungi or by fungal metabolic products [2]. Improper storage condition offers favorable environment for the growth of Aspergillus species [2] and production of mycotoxins [2]. Consumptions of such contaminated food lead to a serious cases of illness and mycotoxicoses [3, 4]. Among these, aflatoxicosis can manifest both acute (hemorrhage, acute liver damage, edema, and death) and chronic toxicological effects of cancer, mutagenicity, immune suppression, birth defects, estrogenic, gastrointestinal, urogenital, vascular, kidney and nervous system disorder [1, 2, 5]. In Africa, particularly in parts of sub-Saharan Africa, about 250,000-hepatocarcinoma related deaths occur annually due to aflatoxin ingestion alone [1, 4]. Current consumer desires safe and uncontaminated food commodities throughout the supply chain (from “farm to plate”) [2]. Several synthetic preservatives have been effectively used in management of food contamination by Aspergillus species but their continuous application has led to the
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