Antifungal activity of the basil (Ocimmum basilicum L.) extract on Penicillium aurantiogriseum, P. glabrum, P. chrysogenum, and P. brevicompactum

Abstract

This study was aimed at investigating the antifungal potential of basil (Ocimmum basilicum L.) extract against toxin-producing Penicillium spp. (P. aurantiogriseum, P. glabrum, P. chrysogenum, and P. brevicompactum) isolated from food. The basil extract composition was determined by the GC-MS method. The major component identified in the extract was estragole (86.72%). The determination of the antifungal activity of basil extract on Penicillium spp. was performed using the agar plate method. Basil extract reduced the growth of Penicillium spp. at all applied concentration levels (0.16, 0.35, 0.70, and 1.50 mL/100mL) with the colony growth inhibition from 3.6 (for P. glabrum) to 100% (for P. chrysogenum). The highest sensitivity showed P. chrysogenum, where the growth was completely inhibited at the basil extract concentration of 1.50 mL/100mL. The growth of other Penicillium spp. was partially inhibited with the colony growth inhibition of 63.4 % (P. brevicompactum), 67.5% (P. aurantiogriseum), and 71.7% (P. glabrum). Higher concentrations (0.70 and 1.50 mL/100mL) reduced the growth of the aerial mycelium of all tested Penicillium species. In addition, at the same extract concentrations, the examination of microscopic preparation showed the deformation of hyphae with the frequent occurrence of fragmentations and thickenings, occurrence of irregular vesicle, frequently without metulae and phialides, enlarged metulae. The results obtained in this investigation point to the possibility of using basil extract for the antifungal food protection.

Ovaj rad prikazuje antifungalni potencijal ekstrakta bosiljka na rast toksin- produkujućih Penicillium vrsta (P. aurantiogriseum, P. glabrum, P. chrysogenum i P. brevicompactum) izolovanih iz hrane. Sastav ekstrakta bosiljka određen je GC-MS metodom i u najvećem procentu sadržavao je estragol (86,72%). Uticaj ekstrakta na rast plesni ispitan je metodom agar ploča. Pri svim primenjenim koncentracija ekstrakta (0,16; 0,35; 0,70 i 1,50 mL/100mL) redukovan je rast Penicillium spp. uz inhibiciju rasta kolonija od 3,6 (P. glabrum) do 100% (P. chrysogenum). Najveću osetljivost pokazala je plesan P. chrysogenum. Njen rast je bio potpuno sprečen pri koncentraciji od 1,5 mL/100mL. Rast ostalih Penicillium spp. je delimično inhibiran sa visokim procentom inhibicije rasta kolonije od 63,4 (P. brevicompactum), 67,5 (P. aurantiogriseum) i 71,7% (P. glabrum). Više koncentracije ekstrakta (0,70 i 1,5 mL/100mL) su redukovale micelarni rast svih testiranih vrsta. Takođe, pri ovim koncentracijama su u mikroskopskom preparatu uočene deformacije hifa sa čestom fragmentacijom i zadebljanjima, vezikule nepravilnog oblika, pojava proširenih metula, ali često bez metula i fijalida. Dobijeni rezultati ukazuju na mogućnost korišćenja ekstrakta bosiljka u antifungalnoj zaštiti hrane.