Antifungal effect of Pimenta dioica essential oil against dangerous pathogenic and toxinogenic fungi

Essential oils from 25 species of medicinal plants were tested as mycelial growth inhibitors against six important pathogenic and toxinogenic fungal species. An agar dilution method was used for determination of the inhibitory effect namely on Fusarium oxysporum, Fusarium verticillioides, Penicillium expansum, Penicillium brevicompactum, Aspergillus flavus and Aspergillus fumigatus. All essential oils used in our experiment evidently affected growth of these fungi. Minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was evaluated in the case of five essential oils showing the most significant antifungal activity. The superior antifungal activity was finally proved on the base of MIC values in the case of Pimenta dioica. The chemical composition of P. dioica essential oil was determined by means of GC–MS analysis.