EFFICACY OF ESSENTIAL OIL COMBINATION OF CURCUMA LONGA L. AND ZINGIBER OFFICINALE ROSC. AS A POSTHARVEST FUNGITOXICANT, AFLATOXIN INHIBITOR AND ANTIOXIDANT AGENT

Keeping in view of the harmful effects of molds and their toxic metabolites, particularly aflatoxins on food items, the present study explores the efficacy of essential oil (EO) combination of Curcuma longa L. and Zingiber officinale Rosc. as a plant-based preservative in view of its broad fungitoxic spectrum against storage fungi, aflatoxin inhibitory efficacy, antioxidant properties and nonphytotoxicity. The EO combination significantly inhibited the growth and aflatoxin production by the toxigenic foodborne strain of Aspergillus flavus LHP-6 at 2.5 and 2.0 mu L/mL, respectively. The combination also showed strong antioxidant activity through 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazil free radical scavenging, beta-carotene-linoleic acid bleaching and total phenolic content assay. The EO combination exhibited nonphytotoxic nature during the seed germination and seedling growth experiments with chickpea seeds. The EO combination of C. longa and Z. officinale may successfully overcome the problem of mold contamination as well as oxidative deterioration of stored agricultural food commodities. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS The essential oil combination of Curcuma longa and Zingiber officinale may be recommended as a plant-based nonphytotoxic preservative against the storage molds, aflatoxin production and lipid peroxidation. Such a formulation showing preservative activity through synergistic effects would have better prospects in agricultural pest management program in view of the development of races of pests by different synthetic pesticides.