title: Exploration of Islamic medicine plant extracts as powerful antifungals for the prevention of mycotoxigenic Aspergilli growth in organic silage.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Feed contamination with mycotoxins is a major risk factor for animals and humans as several toxins can exist as residues in meat and milk products, giving rise to carry-over to consumers via ingestion of foods of animal origin. The starting point for prevention, in this chain, is to eliminate the growth of mycotoxigenic fungi in the animal forage. Ten plant extracts, recommended in Islamic medicine, were evaluated as antifungal agents against mycotoxigenic Aspergilli, i.e. Aspergillus flavus and A. ochraceus, growth in organic maize silage.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Most extracts had remarkable antifungal activities using both qualitative and quantitative evaluation methods. Cress (Lepidium sativum) seed extract was proven to be the most powerful among the plants examined. Blending of the most effective extracts (garden cress seed, pomegranate peel and olive leaf extracts), individually at their minimal fungicidal concentrations, with maize silage resulted in the reduction of inoculated A. flavus colony counts by 99.9, 99.6 and 98.7%, respectively, whereas silage blending with the combined extracts completely prohibited fungal growth for up to 30 days of incubation under aerobic conditions.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Besides the health promoting effects, silage blending with the bioactive plant extracts examined could lead to the required protection from pathogenic and mycotoxigenic fungi.
authors.affiliation: Genetic Engineering and Biotechnology Research Institute, Minoufiya University, El-Sadat City, 79/32897, Egypt. tayel_ahmad@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Ahmed A
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Tayel
authors.forename: Mohammed F
authors.initials: MF
authors.lastname: Salem
authors.forename: Wael F
authors.initials: WF
authors.lastname: El-Tras
authors.forename: Leon
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Brimer
mesh_terms: D018643:Arab World; D001230:Aspergillus / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000254:growth & development; D001231:Aspergillus flavus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D001235:Aspergillus ochraceus / Q000187:drug effects / Q000254:growth & development; D004357:Drug Synergism; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000517:prevention & control; D005638:Fruit / Q000737:chemistry; D005659:Fungicides, Industrial / Q000494:pharmacology*; D007514:Islam; D031220:Lepidium sativum / Q000737:chemistry; D029561:Lythraceae / Q000737:chemistry; D008519:Medicine, Traditional; D008826:Microbial Sensitivity Tests; D015651:Mycotoxicosis / Q000517:prevention & control*; D031658:Olea / Q000737:chemistry; D010936:Plant Extracts / Q000494:pharmacology*; D018515:Plant Leaves; D012639:Seeds; D012820:Silage / Q000382:microbiology*; D003313:Zea mays / Q000382:microbiology
chemical_list: D005659:Fungicides, Industrial; D010936:Plant Extracts