Antifungal Activity Of Essential Oils Research Articles

Investigation of antibacterial and antifungal activities of essential oils of Lippia javanica and Lantana camara (Verbenaceae) harvested in the Haut-Katanga (DR Congo)

Background: Essential oils are volatile compounds characterized by a strong odor, and are generally biosynthesized by aromatic plants as secondary metabolites. This paper aims to extract the essential oils of Lippia javanica and Lantana camara, and to evaluate their antibacterial, and antifungal activities.Methods: The aerial parts of Lippia javanica and Lantana camara were subjected to hydrodistillation to produce the essential oil. The antimicrobial potential was characterized against six microorganisms, signifying three Gram-negative bacteria (Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae and Pseudomonas aeruginosa), two Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae) and one fungus(Candida albicans) by the disc diffusion method to determine the inhibition zone (in mm) and dilution method to determine the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) and the minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC).Results: Essential oil extraction was carried out with an average yield of 0.21% for Lippia javanica, and 0.11% for Lantana camara. The evaluation of the antimicrobial activity showed that Lippia javanica essential oil had a moderate inhibitory activity on Klebsiella pneumoniae, and Streptococcus pneumoniae (MIC: 0.76 mg/mL), on Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa (1.50 mg/mL). The Lantana camara essential oil showed weak inhibitory activity against all strains tested. By diffusion disk method, it was found that Klebsiella pneumoniae was the most sensitive on Lippia javanica essential oil with an inhibition diameter, which evolved from 7 mm to 24 mm; followed by Pseudomonas aeruginosa (21 mm), Escherichia coli (19 mm) and Streptococcus pneumoniae (13 mm) at 15 μL. By means of dilution method, the Lantana camara essential oil showed a low activity against Escherichia coli (MIC: 1.64 mg/mL), Klebsiella pneumonia (MIC: 1.64 mg/mL), Staphylococcus aureus (MIC: 3.28 mg/mL), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MIC: 3.28 mg/mL), and Candida albicans (MIC: 3.28 mg/mL) but by disc diffusion method, this oil was slightly inhibitory activity on Escherichia coli (10 mm at 15 μL). For the antifungal activity, the Lantana camara essential oil, and Germicide were inactive on Candida albicans when tested by the disk method.Conclusion: The essential oil of Lippia javanica showed moderate antibacterial and antifungal activities, while the essential oil of Lantana camara showed low activity. The activities of essential oils studied were less than that of the gentamicin and more than the activity of Germicide, with two positive controls used.

Antifungal Activity of Essential Oils Vapors Against Fungi Isolated from Car Air- Conditioner Filters

Background/A car air conditioner AC filter is a suitable place for microbial growth. Fungal structures or/ andtheir by-products are pollutants of car air space. They are transmitted via air current forward passengers. Mostisolates were reported as allergens and mycotoxins producers. Chemical and less nonchemical treatmentswere followed to solve this problem. The current study aims to isolate and identify fungi associated withCAC filters and discuss the relationship between the fungal community with car age and the types of seatcoats. Also, we inspected the antifungal activity of the vapor and liquid phases of five essential oils invitro. Methods/ A cross-section study was followed, a swap samples were collected during one week. Theywere cultured on Sabouroad’s dextrose agar and Typha pollens agar. Plates were incubated at (25oC ±2).The highest occurrence% were Penicillium sp. > Alternaria sp. > Aspergillus (3sp.), while Acremoniumsp.,Rhizopus sp., Rodotorula sp. and Stachybotrys sp., showed low O% as well as yellow yeast and sterilemycelia. The crude oils of Hacinathus sp., Cymbopogon citratus, Myrtus communis, Eucalyptus sp.,and Cyperus rotundus were extracted and examined. ANOVA test showed that C.citratus oil vapor phasesignificantly affects the dominant isolate. Conclusion/ Car AC filter is a source of fungal structures withhealth impact. Liquid and vapor phases of EOs are probably practical alternatives to control fungal ACcontamination

Determination of chemical component of essential oil of Origanum dubium plants grown at different altitudes and antifungal activity against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum

The aim of this study was to determine effect of altitude on the yields, composition, and antifungal activities of the essential oil isolated from Origanum dubium plant populations collected at four different altitudes. The essential oil yield, the content of four compounds and antifungal activities against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum were found to vary in relation to the different altitudes examined. According to the GC-MS analysis, carvacrol (46.51%–85.65%), linalool (0.24–48.37), p-cymene (1.89%–7.89%), and γ-terpinene (0.28%–6.31%) were determined as major compounds of essential oils of the plants collected from different altitudes. Altitude seems one of the factors that affected the quantity and quality of the essential oil of O. dubium. A significant correlation between the amount of carvacrol, p-cymene, and antifungal activities was determined. The essential oil of plant having the highest content of carvacrol (85.65%) showed the strongest antifungal activity against S. sclerotiorum at relatively very low concentration used (0.75 µl petri−1). Practical applications The essential oil yields, the chemical compositions and antifungal activities against Sclerotinia sclerotiorum were found to vary in relation to the altitudes where plants grown. Since the yield, chemical composition, and biological activities was affected, altitude seems to be an important factor that should be considered. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting antifungal activities of essential oil of Origanum dubium against devastating plant fungal disease agent S. sclerotiorum.

Chemical composition and antifungal activity of essential oil from Origanum vulgare against Botrytis cinerea

In this study, the chemical composition of the essential oil (EO) of Origanum vulgare was characterized, and the antifungal activity of the EO and some individual components against Botrytis cinerea (Y-BC-1) was determined. Twenty-one components were identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and gas chromatography–flame ionization detection, constituting 95.7% of the EO. The major components were methyleugenol (16.5%), myristicin (15.6%), carvacrol (15.0%), thymol (9.8%), apioline (9.4%), and (Z)-β-farnesene (8.7%). B. cinerea in vitro mycelial growth and spore germination were strongly inhibited by the EO and two of its main components, thymol and carvacrol. In vivo vapor contact assays, the antifungal activity of the EO at 250 mg/L suppressed the decay of cherry tomatoes 96.39%. Moreover, thymol and carvacrol at 125 mg/L completely suppressed the gray mold. Thus, the EO of O. vulgare is a potentially nontoxic and ecofriendly botanical fungicide for postharvest control of gray mold.

An overview of research of essential oils by self-organizing maps: A novel approach for meta-analysis study.

Essential oils (EOs) are commercially important products, sources of compounds with antioxidant and antimicrobial activities considered indispensable for several fields, such as the food industry, cosmetics, perfumes, pharmaceuticals, sanitary and agricultural industries. In this context, this systematic review and meta-analysis, a novel approach will be presented using chemometric tools to verify and recognize patterns of antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities of EOs according to their geographic, botanical, chemical, and microbiological distribution. Scientific papers were selected following the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analyses statement flow diagram, and the data were evaluated by the self-organizing map and hierarchical cluster analysis. Overall, this novel approach allowed us to draw an overview of antioxidants and antimicrobials activities of EOs reported in 2019, through 585 articles evaluated, obtaining a dataset with more than 10,000 data, distributed in more than 80 countries, 290 plant genera, 150 chemical compounds, 30 genera of bacteria, and 10 genera of fungi. The networks for geographic, botanical, chemical, and microbiological distribution indicated that Brazil, Asia, the botanical genus Thymus, species Thymus vulgaris L. "thyme," the Lamiaceae family, limonene, and the oxygenated monoterpene class were the most representative in the dataset, while the species Escherichia coli and Candida albicans were the most used to assess the antimicrobial activity of EOs. This work can be seen as a guide for the processing of metadata using a novel approach with non-conventional statistical methods. However, this preliminary approach with EOs can be extended to other sources or areas of food science.

Chemical Profiling, Antioxidant, and Antimicrobial Activity against Drug-Resistant Microbes of Essential Oil from Withania frutescens L.

This work was conducted to study the chemical composition, antioxidant, antibacterial, and antifungal activities of essential oil and hydrolat from Withania frutescens. The essential oil was extracted by hydrodistillation. The chemical characterization was performed using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC/MS). The antioxidant activity was studied using four different assays (DPPH, TAC, FRAP, and β-carotene bleaching). The antibacterial activity test was carried out on multidrug-resistant bacteria including Gram-negative and Gram-positive strains. Antifungal activity was tested on Candida albicans and Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The yield of essential oil (EO) obtained by hydrodistillation of W. frutescens was 0.31% majorly composed of camphor, α-thujone, carvacrol, and thymol. Regarding the antioxidant activities, the concentration of the sample required to inhibit 50% of radicals (IC50) of EO and hydrolat were 14.031 ± 0.012 and 232.081 ± 3.047 µg/mL (DPPH), 4.618 ± 0.045 and 8.997 ± 0.147 µg/mL (FRAP), 0.091 ± 0.007 and 0.131 ± 0.004 mg AAE/mg (TAC), 74.141 ± 1.040% and 40.850 ± 0.083% (β-carotene), respectively. Concerning the antibacterial activity of essential oil and hydrolat, the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values found were 0.006 ± 0.001 and 6.125 ± 0.541 µg/mL (Escherichia coli 57), 0.003 ± 0.001 and 6.125 ± 0.068 µg/mL (Klebsiella pneumoniae), 0.001 ± 0.0 and 6.125 ± 0.046 µg/mL (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and 0.012 ± 0.003 and 6.125 ± 0.571 µg/mL (Staphylococcus aureus), respectively. MIC values of essential oil and hydrolat vs. both C. albicans and S. cerevisiae were lower than 1/20,480 µg/mL. Based on the findings obtained, essential oils of Withania frutescens can be used as promising natural agents to fight free radical damage and nosocomial antibiotic-resistant microbes.

Chemical Compositions and Antifungal Activities of Essential Oil from Triumfetta cordifolia

Chemical Compositions and Antifungal Activities of Essential Oil from Triumfetta cordifolia

Influence of eight chosen essential oils in the vapor phase on the growth of Rhizopus stolonifer and Rhizopus lyococcus

This study aimed to evaluate the fungicidal effect of eight essential oils against five strains of the genus Rhizopus. Strains were obtained from various moldy foods, namely Rhizopus stolonifer KMi 383 from chestnut, R. stolonifer KMi 510 from strawberry, R. stolonifer KMi 511 from nectarine, R. stolonifer KMi 524 from cherry tomatoes, and R. lyococcus KMi 512 from blackberry. The essential oils (EO) used in this study were jasmine EO (extract from Jasminum officinale L.), bergamot EO (Mentha aquatica L. var. citrata (Her.) Fresen), bitter orange EO (from Citrus aurantium L.), grapefruit EO (Citrus paradisi Macfady), sweet flag EO (East Asian Calamus, from Acorus calamus L. var. angustatus Bes), star anise EO (from Illicium verum J.D.Hook), geranium EO (from Pelargonium graveolens), and lemongrass EO (from Cymbopogon citratus DC). The semi-quantitative composition of the essential oil samples was determined by gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The antifungal activity of essential oils against the strains of R. stolonifer and R. lyococcus was determined during 7 days, using the micro-atmosphere method (0.625 μL.mL-1 of air). Two essential oils, geranium and lemongrass, completely inhibited the growth of all isolates. Bitter orange essential oil inhibited the growth of all isolates of Rhizopus stolonifer, but isolate of Rhizopus lyococcus began to grow after four days of cultivation. In conclusion, certain essential oils are highly effective in the vapor phase. These could be used in further tests of their antifungal activity and could be used in the control of Rhizopus spp. or other fungal pathogens.

Antifungal and antioxidant activity of plant based essential oils on Aspergillus flavus Link (Trichocomaceae) isolated from stored maize grains of Meghalaya

Essential oils from five medicinal aromatic plants viz. Gaultheria fragrantissima Wall, Artemisia nilagirica Clarke, Curcuma longa Linn, Zingiber officinale Roscoe and Litsea cubeba (Lour.) Pers. were evaluated for their efficacy as antifungal agents against the growth of toxigenic Aspergillus flavus Link isolated from stored maize of Meghalaya. Antifungal activity of essential oils was evaluated by determining the Minimal inhibition concentration (MIC) and Minimal fungicidal concentration (MFC). Among the five essential oils tested, Litsea cubeba essential oil showed high antifungal activity with complete mycelia growth inhibition at 0.8 µl/ml. Scanning Electron Microscopy of A. flavus exposed to oils showed hyphae and conidiophore damages. The essential oil exhibited antioxidant activity through DPPH (2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl) assay as IC50 value ranged between 0.59 and 14.44 µl/ml and are non-phytotoxic during seed germination experiments with maize seeds. Based on the antifungal, antioxidant and non-phytotoxic potential, the tested essential oils may be recommended as eco-friendly seed protectants.

Antifungal Activity of Essential Oil From Zanthoxylum armatum DC. on Aspergillus flavus and Aflatoxins in Stored Platycladi Semen.

The major objective of this study was to evaluate the inhibitory effect of essential oil (EO) from Zanthoxylum armatum DC. on Aspergillus flavus. The chemical composition of the EO was identified by gas chromatography–mass spectrometer. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of EO was investigated by liquid fermentation. The morphology, colony number, and aflatoxin content of A. flavus in platycladi semen were investigated by stereomicroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, plate counting, and high-performance liquid chromatography. The results indicated that the MIC of EO was 0.8 μL⋅mL–1, and the main components were β-phellandrene (7.53%), D-limonene (13.24%), linalool (41.73%), terpinen-4-ol (5.33%), and trans-nerolidol (6.30%). After the EO fumigated the platycladi semen, the growth of A. flavus slowed, and the mycelium shrank considerably. The number of colonies after EO treatment at room temperature and cold storage was significantly reduced, the inhibition effect was better under cold storage, and the aflatoxin B1 content did not exceed the standard within 100 days. Therefore, this study demonstrated the good potential of A. flavus growth inhibition during the storage of platycladi semen.

Antifungal Activity of Essential Oils of Leaves, Rhizomes Oils and Fraction Wild Ginger Elettariopsis Slahmong Ck Lim Inhibit The Colony Growth of Sclerotium Rolfsii

This study aims to see the effectiveness of essential oils of leaves, rhizomes and fraction of wild ginger Ellettariopsis slahmong CK Lim against the pathogenic fungus Sclerotium rolfsii which causes rot disease of the stem base of peanut plants an in vitro.The study consisted of two sub activities: (a) inhibited of colony diameter using Patato Dextrosa Agar (PDA) medium and (b) inhibited of colony biomass using Potato dextrose Broth (PDB) medium, the treatments tested were leaf essential oil and rhizome of wild ginger and fractions A1, B2, C3 and D4, with concentration levels (0, 100, 250 and 500 ppm). Experiments (a) and (b) were arranged in the form of a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) in factorial each with 4 replications. The results showed that the leaf essential oil and rhizome of wild ginger and its fractions had the potential to be used as a vegetable fungicide. The A1 fraction has the best antifungal effectiveness compared to the B2 fraction, leaf oil, rhizomes and other fractions, with the highest inhibition of diameter and biomass of S rolfsii colony the 49.47% and 51.46%. Essential oils of leaves and rhizome oil are not statistically significantly different, but in numerically leaf oil are better than rhizome oil. The C3 fraction showed the lowest colony diameter inhibition and biomass of 34.70% and 36.95%. The best concentration level in inhibition the growth of S rolfsii mushroom is 500 ppm, with inhibition of the diameter and biomass of the colony by 81.74% and 84.25%.

GC-MS Analysis and Evaluation of Antibacterial and Antifungal Activity of Essential Oils Extracted From Fruit Peel of Citrus aurantium L. (Rutaceae) Grown in the West Anatolian Area

In this study, chemical composition and in vitro antibacterial and antifungal effects of essential oils extracted from fruit peel of Citrus aurantium L. grown in West Anatolian ecological conditions, were investigated. Antibacterial and antifungal activities were determined with the use of Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) method. Essential oils were obtained in a clevenger apparatus and their compositions were analysed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry (GC-MS). According to the GC-MS results, dl-limonene (72.51%) and hexasiloxane (13.28%) were the major components in the essential oil obtained from C. aurantium Central population. Limonene (77.27%) and hexasiloxane (6.19%) dominated in the samples originated from Germencik region. Limonene (79.77%) was found to be in the highest concentration in the essential oil obtained from C. aurantium Kocarli population. Limonene (95.70%) followed by β‑myrcene (0.76%) were the major components of the essential oil obtained from Citrus aurantium Nazilli population. MIC values ranged from 2.5 to 5 µL/mL for gram (−) bacteria and from 0.3125 to 5 µL/mL for gram (+) bacteria. Essential oil from Germencik region generally showed the best effect against fungi. Essential oil obtained from Citrus aurantium fruit peel could be an alternative to synthetic antimicrobial agents.

Improved method to obtain essential oil, asarinin and sesamin from Asarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum using microwave-assisted steam distillation followed by solvent extraction and antifungal activity of essential oil against Fusarium spp

An efficient microwave-assisted steam distillation followed by a solvent extraction method (MSDE) was established to isolate the essential oil, asarinin and sesamin from the roots and rhizomes of Asarum heterotropoides var. mandshuricum (AHVM). In the MSDE technology applied in this work, moistened roots and rhizomes of AHVM powders are applied to this system. After extracting the essential oil by steam distillation, the powder residue of the roots and rhizomes of AHVM is relatively dry. Hence, this method can save energy consumption, and the loss of asarinin and sesamin can be reduced during the subsequent extraction process and improve essential oil yield. The developed method extracted the essential oil to reach the maximum extraction amount (15.80 ± 0.79 mL/kg) after microwave irradiation for 30 min and maintained the yield balance. Through comparison, MSDE was chosen as the best approach, and under the optimum conditions (90 % aqueous ethanol, liquid–solid ratio of 19.0 mL/g and microwave irradiation power of 332 W) obtained by first order kinetic models and response surface analysis with Box–Behnken design, satisfactory yields of asarinin (1.81 ± 0.72 mg/g) and sesamin (0.74 ± 0.09 mg/g) were achieved. In accordance with the yields of asarinin and sesamin, our research optimized the process parameters. According to the comprehensive comparison of these parameters, the proposed process described in this study has greater advantages than traditional methods. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICS) of the essential oil, which obtain from the roots and rhizomes of AHVM of five kinds of Fusariums spp. (F. avenaceum, F. trichothecioides, F. sporotrioides, F. sambucinum and F. culmorum) were determination to be 1.25 mg/mL, 1.5 mg/mL, 1.5 mg/mL, > 2 mg/mL and > 2 mg/mL, respectively. The results of the antifungal test showed that the essential oil from the roots and rhizomes of AHVM showed remarkable antifungal activities, in which, F. avenaceum was the most sensitive to the essential oil, with the MIC50 values of 0.625 mg/mL.

The Use of Essential Oils and Their Isolated Compounds for the Treatment of Oral Candidiasis: A Literature Review.

In this literature review, we present the main scientific findings on the antifungal activity of essential oils (EOs) applicable for a new drug formulation to treat oral candidiasis. Seven literature databases were systematically searched for eligible in vitro and clinical trials. Selected articles were screened for biological activity, botanical species, phytochemical composition, study design, and methodological quality. A total of 26 articles were included in the review, of which 21 were in vitro studies and 5 clinical trials. The most promising EOs were obtained from Allium tubeorosum, Cinnamomum cassia, Cinnamomum zeylanicum, and Coriandrum sativum L. Among the phytochemicals, citral and thymol were the most active. Clinical trials indicated that the EOs from Pelargonium graveolens and Zataria multiflora are potentially effective to treat oral candidiasis. Further nonclinical and clinical studies with these EO are warranted to determine their potential use and safety for the treatment of oral candidiasis.

Chemical composition and antifungal activity of essential oils and their combinations against Botrytis cinerea in strawberries

Strawberry has a short postharvest shelf life, mainly because of the gray mold caused by Botrytis cinerea. The chemical composition and antifungal activities of essential oils from Mentha piperita, Cymbopogon martinii, Cinnamomum camphora, Mentha spicata, and their binary mixtures against B. cinerea were evaluated by different in vitro methods, and also in vivo in vapor-phase on inoculated strawberries. The major components present in M. piperita essential oil were menthol (45.37%), menthone (20.13%), isomenthone (16.94%), menthyl acetate (3.81%), pulegone (1.89%), α-terpinene (1.88%), isopulegol (1.83%), neoisomenthol (1.19%), and α-terpineol (1.08%), in C. martinii essential oil were geraniol (83.82%), geranyl acetate (7.49%), linalool (2.48%), and caryophyllene (1.33%), in C. camphora essential oil were linalool (98.39%), and M. spicata essential oil were carvone (61.71%), limonene (20.22%), 1,8-cineole (5%), sabinene (2.28%), cis-dihydrocarvone (1.63%), and α-thujene (1.4%). The highest antifungal activity in vitro was presented by M. spicata and C. martinii essential oils by the direct contact, vapor contact, spore germination, and micro-well dilution methods. In vivo, strawberries treated with the vapor of M. spicata and C. martinii essential oils showed a reduction in disease incidence and severity. At a 10% concentration, M. spicata and C. martinii showed a reduction of 100% and 83% in the disease incidence, respectively. Thus, the M. spicata and C. martinii essential oils may be potential alternatives for the control of B. cinerea in postharvest fresh strawberries.

Chemical Composition, Liquid and Vapor-phase Antifungal Activities of Essential Oil of Teucrium luteum subsp. flavovirens against Three Postharvest Phytopathogenic Fungi

ABSTRACT This study aimed to investigate the chemical composition and antifungal activities of essential oil (EO) of Teucrium luteum subsp. flavovirens. The analysis of EO using gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy (GC-MS) allowed the identification of 63 compounds, accounting for 89.9% of the total oil. The major constituents were E-nerolidol (31.0%), β-pinene (6.9%), elemol (5.0%), and α-pinene (4.5%). The antifungal activities of EO in liquid and vapor-phase were evaluated in vitro against three apple pathogenic fungi using poisoned food (PF) and volatile activity (VA) techniques. The results indicated that the EO inhibited significantly the mycelial growth of all strains tested (p < .05). The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) against Alternaria sp. was 2 µL/mL in VA assay, whereas >2 µL/mL in PF technique for all strains. Fungal spore production, in vapor phase, was completely inhibited at 2 µL/mL for three phytopathogens. The antifungal activities of T. luteum subsp. flavovirens from the Southeast of Morocco are reported for the first time.

Research Article Genetic variability of &lt;i&gt;Aspergillus&lt;/i&gt; &lt;i&gt;flavus&lt;/i&gt; isolated from commercial peanut and bulgur wheat in Southern Brazil and antifungal activity of essential oils against some of the isolates

Research Article Genetic variability of &lt;i&gt;Aspergillus&lt;/i&gt; &lt;i&gt;flavus&lt;/i&gt; isolated from commercial peanut and bulgur wheat in Southern Brazil and antifungal activity of essential oils against some of the isolates

Chemical Composition, Antioxidant Activity, and Antifungal Effects of Essential Oil from Laurus nobilis L. Flowers Growing in Morocco

In this study, the chemical composition and the antioxidant and antifungal activities of essential oil from Laurus nobilis flowers were examined. The essential oil was prepared using steam distillation in a modified Clevenger-type apparatus. The chemical composition of the obtained essential oil and chemotypes was determined using gas chromatography coupled with mass spectrometry (GC/MS) and gas chromatography with flame ionization detection (GC-FID). Twenty-five volatile compounds were identified, which made up 92.07% of the total essential oil content. The essential oil yield was 1.06% and the most abundant compounds were 1.8-cineole (45.01%), α-caryophyllene (7.54%), germacradienol (6.13%), limonene (4.69%), α-pinene (3.04%), and germacrene D (3.14%). The antifungal activity of the obtained essential oil was tested against seven fungal strains: Aspergillus clavatus, A. niger, Chaetomium globosum, Cladosporium cladosporioides, Myrothecium verrucaria, Penicillium citrinum, and Trichoderma viride. The results indicated that essential oil from L. nobilis flowers exhibited significant antifungal activity against the tested fungal strains with minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranging from 0.05 to 0.46 mg/mL. The essential oil of L. nobilis also exhibited strong total antioxidant capacity (TAC) as indicated by its ability to scavenge free radical DPPH. Taken together, this study indicates that the essential oil from L. nobilis flowers possesses significant antifungal and antioxidant activities, possibly due to the high level of 1,8-cineole.

New insights on the antifungal activity of essential oil of Salvia desoleana Atzei et Picci, an endemic plant from folk medicine of Sardinia, Italy

This work reports the results concerning the antifungal activity of the essential oil obtained from Salvia desoleana, an endemic plant from folk medicine of Sardinia Island, Italy. Chemical analysis of S. desoleana essential oil isolated by hydrodistillation was carried out by gas chromatography (GC-FID) and gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The essential oil contains high amounts of oxygenated monoterpenes and sesquiterpene hydrocarbons, being linalyl acetate (21.0%), a-terpinyl acetate (17.3%), 1,8-cineole (6.7%), linalool (3.6%), sclareol (3.5%) and germacrene D (22.1%) the main compounds. The oil was more active against the yeast Cryptococcus neoformans and the dermatophyte Trichophyton rubrum with MIC values of 0.16 μL/mL and 0.32 μL/mL, respectively. The oil revealed an important inhibitory effect on the germ tube formation in C. albicans. It was able to achieve about 40% of inhibition of filamentation at concentrations as low as 0.08 µL/mL. These findings add significant information to the biological activity of the essential oil of S. desoleana, specifically to its antifungal properties, thus justifying and reinforcing the use of this plant in traditional medicine.

Application of plant essential oils in controlling wood mold and stain fungi

The antifungal activities of 19 plant essential oils against six wood mold and stain fungi (Aspergillus niger, Penicillium citrinum, Trichoderma viride, Botryodiplodia theobromae, Fusarium moniliforme, and Alternaria alternata) were investigated with the in vitro medium method. The chemical compositions and volatilization rates of the essential oils were analyzed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry and oven heating, respectively. Antifungal effects of the essential oils on fresh Pinus massoniana wood were evaluated by dipping treatment. The average antifungal efficacies of the essential oils varied from 0.1 to 1.0, and oils of Cinnamomum cassia, Syzygium aromaticum, and Thymus mongolicus showed the greatest antifungal activities and completely inhibited the growth of all six fungi. The essential oils presented great differences in their main chemical components, and a significant negative linear correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient = -0.627, p &lt; 0.01) was found between antifungal efficacy and volatilization rate, indicating that both chemical composition and volatilization rate are important factors influencing the antifungal activities of essential oils. Eight essential oils effectively inhibited the growth of fungi in Pinus massoniana wood with an absorption of 65.51 g/m2 ± 13.78 g/m2, and they have the potential to be environmentally friendly anti-mildew agents.