title: Screening of Argentine plant extracts: impact on growth parameters and aflatoxin B1 accumulation by Aspergillus section Flavi.
abstract: The effect of essential oils, ethanolic and aqueous extract of 41 vegetable species on Aspergillus section Flavi growth was evaluated. The in vitro screen was a two-stage process. A wide-spectrum initial screen which identified promising antifungal plant extracts was carried out first. After that, identified extracts were studied in more detail by in vitro assays. A total of 96 plant extracts were screened. Essential oils were found to be the most effective extract controlling aflatoxigenic strains. Clove, mountain thyme, poleo and eucalyptus essential oils were selected to study their antifungal effect. Studies on percentage of germination, germ-tube elongation rate, growth rate, and aflatoxin B1 accumulation were carried out. Clove, mountain thyme and poleo essential oils showed the most antifungal effect under all growth parameters analyzed as well as aflatoxin B1 accumulation. Our results suggest that mountain thyme and poleo, which are native vegetal species of Argentina, and clove essential oils could be used alone or in conjunction with other substances to control the presence of aflatoxigenic fungi in stored maize.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Microbiología e Inmunología, Facultad de Ciencias Exactas Físico Químicas y Naturales. Universidad Nacional de Río Cuarto 5800, Ruta Nacional N0 36 Km 601, Río Cuarto, Córdoba, Argentina.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Bluma
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Amaiden
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Etcheverry
mesh_terms: D016604:Aflatoxin B1 / Q000096:biosynthesis*; D000935:Antifungal Agents / Q000494:pharmacology*; D001231:Aspergillus flavus / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism; D045783:Clove Oil / Q000494:pharmacology; D004305:Dose-Response Relationship, Drug; D005052:Eucalyptus / Q000737:chemistry; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis / Q000517:prevention & control; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods; D005520:Food Preservatives / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007700:Kinetics; D009822:Oils, Volatile / Q000494:pharmacology*; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology; D046930:Thymus Plant / Q000737:chemistry; D003313:Zea mays / Q000737:chemistry / Q000382:microbiology*
chemical_list: D000935:Antifungal Agents; D045783:Clove Oil; D005520:Food Preservatives; D009822:Oils, Volatile; D010936:Plant Extracts; D016604:Aflatoxin B1