γ-Asarone: the fungitoxic principle of the essential oil of Caesulia axillaris

Abstract

The essential oil of Caesulia axillaris has exhibited its fungitoxicity against Aspergillus flavus at its minimum inhibitory concentration of 1300 mg/l. It showed the potentiality of an ideal fungitoxicant because of its long shelf life, thermostable nature, broad fungitoxic spectrum and persistence of fungitoxicity even on introduction of high inoculum density of the test fungus. The fungitoxic principle of the oil was standardized as γ-asarone which showed fungitoxicity against the test fungus at 500 mg/l.