title: Effect of essential oils on Aspergillus spore germination, growth and mycotoxin production: a potential source of botanical food preservative.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate effect of essential oils on Aspergillus spore germination, growth and mycotoxin production.
  
  
  METHODS
  In vitro antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic activity of essential oils was carried out using poisoned food techniques, spore germination assay, agar dilution assay, and aflatoxin arresting assay on toxigenic strains of Aspergillus species.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Cymbopogon martinii, Foeniculum vulgare and Trachyspermum ammi (T. ammi) essential oils were tested against toxicogenic isolates of Aspergillus species. 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 aflatoxin production from Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus at 0.5 and 0.75 µl/mL, respectively. Cymbopogon martinii, Foeniculum vulgare and T. ammi oils as antifungal were found superior over synthetic preservative. Moreover, a concentration of 5 336.297 µl/kg body weight was recorded for LC50 on mice indicating the low mammalian toxicity and strengthening its traditional reputations.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In conclusion, the essential oils from T. ammi can be a potential source of safe natural food preservative for food commodities contamination by storage fungi.
authors.affiliation: Traditional & Modern Medicine Research Directorate, Ethiopian Health & Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Negero
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Gemeda
authors.affiliation: Dipartment of Microbiology Immunology & Parasitology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Yimtubezinash
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Woldeamanuel
authors.affiliation: Dipartment of Microbiology Immunology & Parasitology, Addis Ababa University, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Asrat
authors.affiliation: Traditional & Modern Medicine Research Directorate, Ethiopian Health & Nutrition Research Institute, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: Asfaw
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Debella
keywords: Aspergillus species; Essential oils; Food spoilage; Mycotoxin; Preservatives