Antifungal Activities of Hedychium Essential Oils and Plant Extracts Against Mycotoxigenic Fungi

Plant-derived antifungal compounds are preferred to chemicals to reduce the risk of toxic effects on humans, livestock, and the environment. Essential oil extracted from rhizomes and plant extracts of ornamental ginger lily (Hedychium spp.) were evaluated for their antifungal activity against two fungi, Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides, that produce two major classes of mycotoxins, aflatoxin, and fumonisin, respectively, on several crops. Essential oil or leaf extracts from several Hedychium species and varieties totally inhibited the growth of pre-germinated spores of A. flavus and F. verticillioides. Control of these two fungi by aqueous extracts of rhizome was not effective, although a reduced number of colonies was observed. In view of these results, essential oils or crude leaf extracts from Hedychium spp. need to be considered for the control of mycotoxin-producing fungi under storage conditions.