Chemical Composition And Antifungal Activity Of Essential Oil Of Satureja Calamintha Spp. Nepeta (L.) Briq Against Some Toxinogenous Mold

Abstract

The resistance of the toxigenic mycoflora to chemical treatments based on synthetic fungicides guides us in the
search for more effective and safer alternatives. In this context, the aim of this study was to evaluate the chemical
and antifungal properties of the essential oil of S. calamintha nepeta against three fungal strains namely: A.
flavus, A. parasiticus, and A. ochraceus. Indeed, the oil obtained by hydrodistillation had a yield of 1,36 %. The
chemical composition performed by GC-MS identified 110 compounds, dominated by oxygenated
monoterpenes. Piperitenone oxide, trans piperitenone oxide, caryophyllene oxide, 3-methyldiphenyl ether, (E) -
caryophyllene, gensmin, germacrene D, (Z) -jasmone, trans-calamenene, γ-gurjunene, and pulegone are the main
constituents of this oil. The antifungal potency was studied by the poisoned food method in order to determine
the percentage inhibition of mycelial growth and the microdillution technique for the minimum inhibitory,
fungistatic and fungicidal concentrations. Overall, all tested molds were inhibited with 1/100 and 1/250 (v/v)
concentrations after seven days of incubation. The minimum inhibitory and fungicidal concentrations of EO were
in the order of 0.666-2.666 μl/ml and 2.666-5.333 μl/ml respectively. It can be concluded that the essential oil of
S. calamintha nepeta can be exploited in the food industry as natural fungicides against storage fungi to protect
food from spoilage caused by these microorganisms.