Objectives: Radical scanvenging activity and the effects of the monoterpenes menthol, thymol, and the synthetic antioxidant butylhydroxytoluene (BHT) were evaluated on growth and fumonisin B1 (FB1) production by F. verticillioides
Methods: The MYRO liquid culture was prepared as described previously (1). It was inoculated with 500 uL of a conidia suspension of F. verticillioides MRC 4036. Cultures were incubated with agitation in darkness at
Results: Thymol was effective decreasing the fungal growth. Besides, menthol and BHT had inhibitory effects on FB1 production, being the BHT action more effective when it was added at the 15th day post-inoculation. In the DPPH assay, only thymol and BHT showed radical scavenging activity.
Conclusions: The data obtained in these studies suggests that BHT and menthol could cause inhibition of FB1 production, and their effects depend of the day of insertion. On the other hand, BHT and thymol have radical scavenging activity.
References:
1. Blackwell, B. A., et al. 1994. J. AOAC Int. 77: 506-511.
2. Shephard, G. S., et al. 1990. Journal of Liquid Chromatography 13:2077-2087.
3. Gálvez, et al. 2005. J. Agric. Food Chem. 53, 1927-1933.