Characterization and Inhibitory Effects of Essential Oil and Nanoemulsion from Ocotea indecora (Shott) Mez in Aspergillus Species

• Published in: Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Vol. 28; no. 8; p. 3437
• Main Authors: Pinto, Leonardo de Assunção, Machado, Francisco Paiva, Esteves, Ricardo, Farias, Victor Moebus, Köptcke, Felipe Braz Nielsen, Ricci-Junior, Eduardo, Rocha, Leandro, Keller, Luiz Antonio Moura
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Switzerland MDPI AG 13-04-2023; MDPI
• Subjects: aflatoxin; Aflatoxins; Antimicrobial agents; Aspergillosis; Aspergillus; Aspergillus flavus; Bioavailability; Contaminants; Endemic species; Essential oils; Flavi section; Food contamination; Fungi; Fungicidal activity; Fungicides; fungistatic; Herbal medicine; Indigenous species; Medicinal herbs; Metabolites; Mycotoxins; Nanoemulsions; natural products; Ocotea; Oils & fats; Oils, Volatile - pharmacology; Plant extracts; Preservatives; sesquirosefuran; sesquiterpenes; Synthetic food; Brazil; United States > US; natural products; fungistatic; aflatoxin; Flavi section; sesquirosefuran; sesquiterpenes
• ISSN: 1420-3049; 1420-3049
• DOI: 10.3390/molecules28083437

The
genus, the etiological agent of aspergillosis, is an important food contaminant and mycotoxin producer. Plant extracts and essential oils are a source of bioactive substances with antimicrobial potential that can be used instead of synthetic food preservatives. Species from the Lauraceae family and the
genus have been used as traditional medicinal herbs. Their essential oils can be nanoemulsified to enhance their stability and bioavailability and increase their use. Therefore, this study sought to prepare and characterize both nanoemulsion and essential oil from the
's leaves, a native and endemic species from the Mata Atlântica forest in Brazil, and evaluate the activity against
RC 2054,
NRRL 2999, and
NRRL 3174. The products were added to Sabouraud Dextrose Agar at concentrations of 256, 512, 1024, 2048, and 4096 µg/mL. The strains were inoculated and incubated for up to 96 h with two daily measurements. The results did not show fungicidal activity under these conditions. A fungistatic effect, however, was observed. The nanoemulsion decreased the fungistatic concentration of the essential oil more than ten times, mainly in
. There were no significant changes in aflatoxin production.