Evaluation of the antifungal potential of Cymbopogon citratus essential oil in the control of the fungus Aspergillus brasiliensis

Filipe Da Silva De Oliveira,Carlos Eduardo De Souza Teodoro,Pedro Amorim Berbert,Ana Paula Martinazzo

doi:10.33448/rsd-v9i7.4697

Filipe Da Silva De Oliveira, Carlos Eduardo De Souza Teodoro + Show 2 more

Open Access

https://doi.org/10.33448/rsd-v9i7.4697

Copy DOI

Abstract

The objective of this work was to evaluate the antifungal activity of the essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus in the control of Aspergillus brasiliensis in analysis in vitro and in stored corn kernels. Two in vitro tests were carried out. One of them, by diffusion in agar and the other by microdilution in wells. The concentrations used for the agar diffusion assay were 0.2; 0.4; 0.6; 0.8 and 1.0 µL mL-1. The concentrations used for the microdilution test were: 0.1; 0.2; 0.3; 0.4; 0.5; 0.6; 0.7; 0.8; 0.9; 1.0 and 1.2 µL mL-1. The mycelial growth was evaluated over time, using the Scott-Knott test at 5% significance. From the results obtained, it was verified that the application of the essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus interferes significantly in the fungal development of the species Aspergillus brasiliensis. The microdilution test in wells was used in a qualitative way, indicating absence of growth in doses from 0.8 µL mL-1. For the corn grain test, the essential oil dosages of 0.5; 0.8 and 1.0 µL mL-1 and were stored for 42 days. There was no significant difference in the different doses of essential oil over the storage period for this assay.

Highlights

According to the growth of population, it is necessary to search for technologies to increase food production
In view of the above, seeking to propose the use of a natural substance for fungal control in the post-harvest of grains, this work aims to analyze the antifungal activity of the essential oil of C. citratus for the control of Aspergillus brasiliensis, under a specific incubation period in vitro, as well as its activity in the control of microorganism in stored corn grains
The essential oil of Cymbopogon citratus was purchased from the cosmetics industry and trade company Argila Indústria & Comércio de Cosméticos

Summary

Introduction

According to the growth of population, it is necessary to search for technologies to increase food production. According to the active ingredient and the amount used in improper ways, damage is caused to consumers and the environment, together with the development of resistance from microorganisms, reducing effective control (Fisher et al, 2015; Silva et al, 2016; Luz et al, 2017) To this end, alternative ways of inhibiting contamination of food products against fungi, bacteria and insects have been studied, with the use of essential oils (Cherrat et al, 2014; Bomfim et al, 2015; Erland et al, 2015; Farzaneh, et al, 2015; Janatova et al, 2015; Lopez-Romero et al, 2015; Pavela et al, 2015; Prakash et al, 2015; Sharma et al, 2017; Üstüner et al, 2018). In industries they have different forms of use, from food segments to pharmaceuticals (Ríos, 2000; Knaak; Fiuza, 2010; Machado et al, 2013)

Objectives

Methods

Results