Aromatic plants essential oils activity on Fusarium verticillioides Fumonisin B1 production in corn grain

Abstract

The minimum inhibitory concentration of Origanum vulgae, Aloysia triphylla, Aloysia polystachya and Mentha piperita essential oils against Fusarium verticillioides were assessed, using the semisolid agar antifungal susceptibility technique. O. vulgare, A. triphylla, A. polystachya and M. piperita EOs were evaluated at final concentrations of 10, 20, 40, 50, 100, 200, 250, 500, 1000 and 1500 microliter/litre of culture medium. A. triphylla and O. vulgare EOs showed the highest inhibitory effects on F. verticillioides mycelial development. This inhibition was observed at 250 and 500 microliter/litre for EOs cominf from corn grain as substrate. The EOs were inserted on the 5th, 10th, 15th and 20th day of maize postconcentrations of 30 ppm and 45 ppm, respectively. Different effects were obsered inthe toxicogenicity at the 20th day treatment. The O. vulgare EO decreased the production level of FB1 while A. triphylla EO increased it with respect to those obtained in the inoculted maize, not EOs treated. Results obtained in the present work indicate that fumonisin production could be inhibited or stimulated by some constituents of EOs coming from aromatic plants.