Essential oil of Xylopia aethiopica from Cameroon: Chemical composition, antiradical and in vitro antifungal activity against some mycotoxigenic fungi

The aim of this work was to evaluate the chemical composition, antiradical activity and antifungal activity of Xylopia aethiopica essential oil from Cameroon against five mycotoxigenic fungal strains responsible for the biodegradation of foodstuffs. The Clevenger apparatus was used for the extraction of essential oil from dried fruits, which was subsequently analyzed by CG and CG/ MS for determination of its chemical profile. The incorporation method and the method using the DPPH radical were used respectively for the in vitro evaluation of the antifungal and antioxidant activity of the essential oil of X. aethiopica. The yield of essential oil was 4.2% (v/w). The main components of Xylopia aethiopica essential oil were β-pinene (32.16 ± 3.69%), β-phellandrene (10.71 ± 3.05%), Z-γ-bisabolene (10.07 ± 2.61%) and α-pinene (7.39 ± 1.69%). The essential oil of X. aethiopica showed a low antiradical activity (SC50 = 594.58 ± 57.37 μg/mL) as compared to that of BHT (SC50 = 65.03 ± 0.99 μg/mL). The essential oil has a good antifungal activity against Aspergillus niger and Fusarium oxysporium with a minimum inhibitory concentration of 3000 ppm for the two fungal strains and a minimum fungicidal concentration of 3000 and 4000 ppm respectively. The essential oil of X. aethiopica did not exert a fungicidal effect against A. flavus, A. fumigatus and A. versicolor, for which the MIC was 4000 ppm. The most resistant fungal strain was Aspergillus fumigatus. This study shows that the essential oil of X. aethiopica has a real potential as an antifungal agent for controlling fungal growth on foodstuffs.