Ecological and innovative fungicide for the leather industry: Essential oil of Origanum minutiflorum

WOS: 000236266100003Origanum minutiflorum (oregano) is an endemic species in Turkiye, from which essential oil is produced from its leaves and flowering tops by steam distillation. The antimicrobial activity of essential oil is known for years and many studies concerning its applications on different fields (medical science, pharmacy, food industry, etc.) have been carried out due to its advantages of being natural and nonmutagenic. The objective of this study was to examine the applicability of Origganum minutiflorum essential oil as a fungicide against fungus that grows on leather during the pickling and tanning processes. In the study, 2-Thiocyano-methylthlobenzotiazole (TCMTB) and N-octyl-isothiazolinone (N-OITZ) containing commercial fungicides were also used as controls. During the microbiologic tests, the Growth Of Mould species like Aspergillus niger, Alternaria alternata, Penicillium rubrum and Trichoderma viride that cause problems in leather industry were also investigated against this essential oil and the fungicides. The results of this Study show that oregano essential oil has antifungal activity and its effect improves with increasing concentration. Comparison of the experimental results reveals that leather treated with oregano essential oil is even more resistant against test moulds than leather treated with commercial fungicide at their recommended dosage