Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXIII
Written by Georgia OLARU, Elena Mona POPA
Essential oils from natural plants are antimicrobial agents that can be used to control food spoilage and pathogenic food; they have long been used as flavoring agents in beverages and food. The antimicrobial activity of essential oils is attributed to a number of small terpenoids and phenolic compounds that provide antifungal or antibacterial activity. The experimental research carried out in this work focus on the in vitro study of the antimicrobial effect of fennel and sage essential oils on two food spoilage molds with the evaluation of the minimal lethal concentration (MLC). The fungi used in experimental work were Aspergillus niger and Penicillum expansum from Faculty of Biotechnologies collection. Minimum lethal concentrations were determined using a modified disc diffusion method in agar after puncture the fungus in the center of the Petri dishes. Sage and fennel essential oils proved to be the strongest antifungic agents, the minimum volumes that inhibited the growth and development of two fungi ranging between 14 to 19 μL. Seabuckthorn essential oil, even in higher doses of 250-300 μL, did not show antifungal activity.
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