Effect of aqueous and alcoholic extracts of rosemary and thyme on the growth of Aspergillus flavus in vitro

Abstract

    The fungus Aspergillus flavus is considered one of the most dangerous fungi affecting agriculture crops, as it produces carcinogenic aflatoxins that affect approximately twenty–five precent of global agriculture production annually. this study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of natural plant extracts as safe alternatives to conventional antifungal agents.

The study was conducted in the Seed Health Labaratory of the Plant Quarantine Department, at the Directorate of Agriculture in Latakia.to investigate the effect of four different concentrations (5, 10, 15, 20) mg/ml of both  aqueous and alcoholic extracts from rosmary and shirazi thyme plants  on the growth of A flavus fungi on PDA medium. The plates were incubated at 27 C for 7 days.

    The alcoholic extracts showed a significant superiority in inhibiting the growth of the fungus A. flavus compared to the aqueous extracts. The thyme alcoholic extract was the most effective in inhibtion, as the growth of A flavus was completely absent at the concentration (15,20) mg/ml. This was followed by the inhibitory ability of the rosemary alcoholic extract, as no fungal growth was observed at a concentration of 20 mg/ml, While the uptake rate at a concentration of 15 mg/ml was 85.06%, there was a direct correlation between increasing concentration and uptake rate. These results suggest that alcoholic extracts of thyme and rosemary are effective against the fungus A. flavus.