Antifungal Activity of the Essential Oil Extracted from Zanthoxylum piperitum Seeds Against Aspergillus flavus
Chorpaka Phuangsri [a,b], Nuchnipa Nuntawong [b], Hataichanoke Niamsup* [b]* Author for corresponding; e-mail address: hataichanoke.n@cmu.ac.th
Volume: Vol.44 No.2 (April 2017)
Research Article
DOI:
Received: 16 Febuary 2015, Revised: -, Accepted: 21 May 2015, Published: -
Citation: Phuangsri C., Nuntawong N. and Niamsup H., Antifungal Activity of the Essential Oil Extracted from Zanthoxylum piperitum Seeds Against Aspergillus flavus , Chiang Mai Journal of Science, 2017; 44(2): 584-594.
Abstract
The antifungal activity of essential oil extracted from Zanthoxylum piperitum seeds was tested and the oil's potential as a food preservative was evaluated. The main chemical components determined in the oil were β-phelladrene (23.2%), sabinene (14.6%), and brevifolin (11.9%). The oil's antifungal activity was tested in solid and liquid cultures of aflatoxigenic Aspergillus flavus. The minimum inhibitory concentration of oil was 4.5 µL/mL. The possible actions against A. flavus are distortion in conidial heads and decrease of hyphal diameters as observed under a light microscope. A reduction in the ergosterol content in fungal plasma membrane by 34.41 % also occurred. The use of this essential oil as an antifungal coat was tested on dried bird chili. The essential oil at 4.5 and 9.0 µL/mL reduced fungal development on chili peel to 45.20 % and 89.32 %, respectively. Thus, application as a food preservative is possible.