Phytochemical Analysis and Antifungal Effect of Erythrophelum suaveolens Seeds Essential Oil on Aspergillus flavus Isolated from Locally Purchased Maize (Zea mays) Seeds In Abuja, Nigeria

Abstract

Aspergillus flavus is ubiquitous and it is responsible for attacking and contamination of maize and the use of organic substances to arrest the proficiency of A. flavus is quiet limited, this study therefore aimed at evaluating the phytochemical composition and antifungal effect of Erythrophelum suaveolens seed essential oil on A. flavus isolated from locally purchased maize seeds in Abuja. Extraction of an essential oil of the grinded seeds of E. suaveolens isolation through hydro-distillation method and petroleum ether as solvent utilizing clevenger apparatus. The qualitative phytochemical analysis of E. suaveolens seed oil was determined. Swabbing using sterile cotton swabs in a potato dextrose Agar (PDA) plates with 8hrs old broth culture of the A. flavus and a sterile cork borer used in making wells at the center of the culture plate at room temperature for 2hrs for diffusion to take place, this was done in triplicate to determine antifungal effect of the seed oil. The plates were incubated at 28ºC for 48hrs to measure the diameter of the inhibition zones. The results show that tannins, steroids, terpenoids, balsams, and cardiac glycosides were present in the plant seeds oil after 48 hrs, the triplicate shows an inhibitory diameter zone of 1.8, 1.7 and 1.4cm respectively. The plant seed essential oil had higher antifungal potency towards A. flavus isolated from maize seeds and presence of some bioactive compound.