Antifungal activity of the basil (Ocimmum basilicum L.) extract on Penicillium aurantiogriseum, P. glabrum, P. chrysogenum, and P. brevicompactum

This study was aimed at investigating the antifungal potential of basil (Ocimmum basilicum L.) extract against toxin-producing Penicillium spp. (P. aurantiogriseum, P. glabrum, P. chrysogenum, and P. brevicompactum) isolated from food. The basil extract composition was determined by the GC-MS method. The major component identified in the extract was estragole (86.72%). The determination of the antifungal activity of basil extract on Penicillium spp. was performed using the agar plate method. Basil extract reduced the growth of Penicillium spp. at all applied concentration levels (0.16, 0.35, 0.70, and 1.50 mL/100mL) with the colony growth inhibition from 3.6 (for P. glabrum) to 100% (for P. chrysogenum). The highest sensitivity showed P. chrysogenum, where the growth was completely inhibited at the basil extract concentration of 1.50 mL/100mL. The growth of other Penicillium spp. was partially inhibited with the colony growth inhibition of 63.4 % (P. brevicompactum), 67.5% (P. aurantiogriseum), and 71.7% (P. glabrum). Higher concentrations (0.70 and 1.50 mL/100mL) reduced the growth of the aerial mycelium of all tested Penicillium species. In addition, at the same extract concentrations, the examination of microscopic preparation showed the deformation of hyphae with the frequent occurrence of fragmentations and thickenings, occurrence of irregular vesicle, frequently without metulae and phialides, enlarged metulae. The results obtained in this investigation point to the possibility of using basil extract for the antifungal food protection. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR-31017]