Abstract
Many medicinal plants from the Lamiaceae family can be easily found in Algeria. These plants have been used as traditional medicines by local ethnic groups. Thymus capitatus is known in Algeria as "Zaatar" and has been commonly used as a spice, and reported to have many biological effects. This paper focused on the assessment of the antioxidant potential and antifungal activity of essential oil and solvent extracts of T. capitatus against the growth of certain fungi. Essential oil, ethanol and hexane extracts of T. capitatus were tested for their antioxidant and antifungal activities. The 2, 2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay was used to determine the free radical quenching capacity. Antifungal activity was assessed using the radial growth technique. DPPH free radical scavenging effect of the extracts was compared with standard antioxidant ascorbic acid and showed significant results. The ethanol extract showed high activity at the concentration of 80 g/mL, but less than the standard ascorbic acid. The essential oil was effective against all the fungi used in the experiment. The highest inhibitory effect on the growth of Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae, Penicillium digitatum, and Fusarium solani was exhibited by the essential oil at concentrations between 0.1 and 0.5 μg/mL. These findings demonstrated that ethanol extract obtained from T. capitatus is a potential source of natural antioxidant, while the essential oil extract can be exploited as an ideal alternative to synthetic fungicides for use in the treatment of many fungal phytopathogens.
Highlights
Many medicinal plants from the Lamiaceae family can be found in Algeria
Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium are responsible for spoilage of many foods and cause decay of stored fruits damaged by insects, animals, early splits, and mechanical harvesting [1, 2]
The request for reduced use of synthetic antioxidants such as butylated hydroxyl toluene (BHT) and butylated hydroxyl anisole (BHA) in the food industry has triggered the need to develop alternative active compounds, which are harmless to the consumers and to the environment [6, 7]
Summary
Many medicinal plants from the Lamiaceae family can be found in Algeria. These plants have been used as traditional medicines by local ethnic groups. Objectives: This paper focused on the assessment of the antioxidant potential and antifungal activity of essential oil and solvent extracts of T. capitatus against the growth of certain fungi. Materials and Methods: Essential oil, ethanol and hexane extracts of T. capitatus were tested for their antioxidant and antifungal activities. Results: DPPH free radical scavenging effect of the extracts was compared with standard antioxidant ascorbic acid and showed significant results. Apart from causing diseases in plants, many species of Aspergillus, Penicillium and Alternaria can synthesize mycotoxins These compounds are hazardous to animal and human health as they can be lethal, carcinogenic, mutagenic, teratogenic, immunosuppressant, or may mimic estrogens [3]. Thyme belongs to the Apiaceae family, and in Algeria this herb is used as a food additive and has been reported to possess various medicinal properties [8], and has proved
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