Antifungal effect of Cinnamomum cassia and Litsea cubeba on selected species of Penicillium genera at aw 1 and 0,95

Eterična ulja su hlapivi, prirodni, kompleksni spojevi svojstvenog mirisa, a dobivaju se iz biljnog materijala kao sekundarni metaboliti. Eterična ulja posjeduju određena antibakterijska, antivirusna, antifungalna i insekticidna svojstva te se kao takvi dodaju u određene prehrambene proizvode u svrhu zaštite od kontaminacije mikroorganizmima. U svrhu smanjenja sintetskih aditiva u proizvodnji namirnica, eterična ulja bi mogla zauzeti vodedu ulogu kao prirodni antimikrobni faktori u sustavima hrane. Zadatak rada bio je ispitati antifungalni učinak eteričnih ulja Cinnamomum cassia i Litsea cubeba te timola i propil galata na odabrane vrste plijesni: Penicillium aurantiogriseum, P. brevicompactum i P. chrysogenum. Ispitana je minimalna inhibitorna (MIK) i minimalna fungicidna koncentracija (MFK) eteričnih ulja. Nadalje, ispitan je učinak eteričnih ulja u inhibiciji linearnog rasta kolonije plijesni tijekom uzgoja pri različitim vrijednostima aktiviteta vode (aw). Najvedi fungicidni učinak pokazalo je ulje Cinnamomum cassia, zatim Litsea cubeba i timol, dok propil galat nije djelovao inhibitorno na rast plijesni. Različite aw vrijednosti malo utječu na MIK i MFK. U inhibiciji rasta kolonije plijesni, porastom koncentracije eteričnog ulja, produžava se lag faza. Cinnamoum cassia i Litsea cubeba produžavaju lag fazu pri nižim aw vrijednostima, a timol reducira lag fazu pri višem aw.Essential oils are volatile, natural, complex compounds characterized by a strong odor, and are derived from plant material as secondary metabolites. Essential oils possess some antibacterial, antiviral, antifungal and insecticidal properties and are added to certain food products to prevent contamination. In order to reduce the production of synthetic additives in foods, essential oils could take a leading role as natural antimicrobial factors in food systems. The task was to examine the antifungal activity of essential oils of Cinnamomum cassia and Litsea cubeba and thymol and propyl gallate on selected mold species: Penicillium aurantiogriseum, P. brevicompactum and P. chrysogenum. Minimum inhibitory (MIC) and minimal fungicidal concentrations (MFC) of essential oils was determined. Furthermore, the effect of essential oils in the inhibition of linear growth of mold colonies during cultivation at different values of water activity (aw) was examined. The most potent antifungal effect showed Cinnamomum cassia oil, then Litsea cubeba and thymol, while propyl gallate had no antifungal effect on tested species. Different aw values do not affect the MIC and MFC. In the inhibition of linear growth, increasement of concentration of essential oils, extends the lag phase. Cinnamoum cassia and Litsea cubeba extend the lag phase at lower aw value (0,95), while thymol reduces the lag phase at higher aw (1)