SCREENING OF ANTIFUNGAL PROPERTIES OF ESSENTIAL OILS EXTRACTED FROM SWEET BASIL, FENNEL, SUMMER SAVORY AND THYME AGAINST POSTHARVEST PHYTOPATHOGENIC FUNGI

The antifungal activity of essential oils of sweet basil (Ocimum basilicum L.), fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.), summer savory (Satureja hortensis L.) and thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) against two well-known postharvest fungi, Penicillium digitatum and Rhizopus stolonifer, by poison food medium (0, 200, 400, 600, 800 and 1,000 mu L/L) and vapor phase (0, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 40 mu L) methods were assayed. The results showed that in poison food medium thyme oil had greatest antifungal activity against P. digitatum and R. stolonifer at 1,000 and >= 600 mu L/L, respectively. In vapor phase, thyme oil at >= 5 mu L completely inhibited the mycelial growth of pathogens. Summer savory oil at >= 600 mu L/L had a significant inhibitory effect on mycelial growth of R. stolonifer. Fennel oil showed the lowest antifungal activity against the pathogens. All the essential oil treatments completely inhibited the growth of R. stolonifer in vapor phase method. Also R. stolonifer were more sensitive against the essential oils. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis showed that main compounds identified in sweet basil, fennel, summer savory and thyme oils were linalool (65.25%), trans-anethole (64.42%), carvacrol (54.14%) and beta-ocimene (12.62%), respectively. Therefore, thyme and summer savory oils have a promising potential to use antifungal agent against fruit and vegetable fungi.