Abstract
The antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic effects of four distinct plant species against Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus were investigated. Essential oils and methanolic extracts were prepared from aerial parts of Lippia javanica, Ocimum gratissimum, Satureja punctata, and stem barks of Toddalia asiatica by hydro-distillation and maceration, respectively. The poisoned food method was used to confirm the antifungal activity of essential oils and methanolic extracts from four different plant species against Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus, and high-performance liquid chromatography was used to quantify the antiaflatoxigenic activity. The essential oils of Satureja punctata and Lippia javanica showed the highest antiaflatoxigenic activity against the fungi strains tested at concentrations of 1.25, 2.5, and 5 µL/mL, followed by Ocimum gratissimum essential oil while Toddalia asiatica essential oil exerted moderate antiaflatoxigenic activity. Meanwhile, the methanolic extracts showed a wide spectrum of low to high antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic activities at concentrations of 125, 250, and 500 µg/mL against A. flavus and A. parasiticus. This study has indicated that the essential oils of Satureja punctate, Lippia javanica, and Ocimum gratissimum had substantial antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic activities compared to their methanolic extracts, while Toddalia asiatica methanolic extract had a moderate antifungal activity compared to its essential oil.
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This work was carried out with the aid of a grant from UNESCO and the International Development Research Centre, Ottawa, Canada. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of UNESCO, the IDRC, or its Board of Governors. The author would also like to acknowledge the following persons: Mr. Mbaruku Hassani of the College of Natural and Applied Sciences, University of Dar es Salaam, for technical assistance in performing the GC-MS analyses, and Mr. Frank Mbago of the Botany Department Herbarium of the University of Dar es Salaam, for botanical assistance.
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Conceptualization: L. D. Kaale; methodology: L. D. Kaale; formal analysis and investigation: L. D. Kaale; writing—original draft preparation: L. D. Kaale; writing—review and editing: L. D. Kaale; funding acquisition: L. D. Kaale; resources: L. D. Kaale; supervision: L. D. Kaale.
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Kaale, L.D. Comparing the effects of essential oils and methanolic extracts on the inhibition of Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus parasiticus growth and production of aflatoxins. Mycotoxin Res 39, 233–245 (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12550-023-00490-6
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s12550-023-00490-6