Antifungal and anti-mycotoxigenic impact of eco-friendly extracts of wild stevia

What is it about?

Background and Objective: Plant extracts included several antioxidant molecules like phenolic, tocopherols, flavonoids, and other active molecules. These compounds could have antimicrobial properties and could control mycotoxigenic fungi in foods and feeds, avert utilizing synthetic chemicals. This study aimed to evaluate several wild stevia extracts impact on toxigenic fungi and mycotoxins as food hazards. Materials and Methods: A plant of wild Stevia (WST) was extracted using three different methods. Extracts tested as antimycotic contra toxigenic fungi. Antibacterial activity against positive and negative gram bacteria assessed. Oxidative activity estimated by the spectrophotometer via two different assays. Phenolic and flavonoid molecules spectrophotometrically evaluated. Aflatoxins content and the reducing ratio evaluated using HPLC assay. Result statistically analyzed using analysis of variances (ANOVA one way SPSS.16). Results: The three extracts showed variation for inhibiting bacterial and fungal growth with antioxidant efficiency. Among the extracts, aqueous-ethanolic extract (1:1) recorded as the highest antimicrobial, antimycotic, and antioxidant potency. The antioxidant activity of tested extracts was varying depending on extracting type. The concentration of 10 mg/ml of WST ethanolic and aqueous-ethanolic extracts was more effective than their aqueous extract, in inhibition of fungal growth or aflatoxin production. The aqueous alcoholic extract was the most effective in aflatoxin degradation. Conclusions: while WST leaf showed promising antioxidant, antifungal and antibacterial activities. Extraction methods in present research applied by the eco-friendly solvent system. These results mentioned the potential utilization of stevia extracts concerning food preservatives. Side to a good ability of the aqueous alcoholic extract to limit mycotoxin.

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Why is it important?

This study discovers the importance of active components which extracts from wild stevia on the microbial and biological systems that can be beneficial for its application in several industries such as food preservatives, cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, and food safety. As the wild stevia extracts recorded a better effect for inhibiting toxigenic fungi biological systems due to the results that showed a reducing in fungal growth and decreasing of metabolites such as mycotoxins, it nominates the application of these extracts to increase food safety which will be reflected on human biological systems safety. This study will help the researcher to uncover the critical areas of Food safety production that many researchers were not able to explore, besides the chance of extracts implementation in preservation against hazards and risks mainly in food production. Thus a new theory on the preservation and safety of food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals products may be arrived at.

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