Antifungal effect of cinnamon essential oil on Byssochlamys fulva in liquid medium and tomato sauce

Abstract

This study was conducted to evaluate the antifungal activity of Cinnamomum cassia essential oils against Byssochalmys fulva in culture media and tomato sauce. The procedure had three steps; in the first step macrodilution method was used to determine the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of cinnamon essential oils against the heat resistance of mold in culture media. The results showed that cinnamon was a promising antifungal substance with MIC of 400 ppm. In the second step, sensory evaluation of tomato sauce treated with 150, 250, 350 ppm concentrations of essential oil was assessed for flavor and odor of the food samples. Sample with 150 ppm cinnamon oil was accepted by panelists. In the third step, B. fulva was inoculated in tomato sauce 3 × 10−5 CFU/g and then 0, 150 ppm and the MIC concentration of essential oils were added to each sample and kept at 30 ± 0.5 °C for 2 months. In addition to these sample tests, sodium benzoate stopped growth of B. fulva at concentration of 250 ppm in culture media. Sodium benzoate at concentration of 250 ppm in tomato sauce was used as a positive control. Results showed that in the MIC concentrations of cinnamon essential oil and sodium benzoate fungal growth was completely retarded, but fungal growth was inhibited up to 72 % at 150 ppm concentration of cinnamon essential oils after 2 months. The main components of cinnamon essential oils, identified by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry, were (E)-cinnamaldehyde, α-Copaene and δ-Cadinene.