Antifungal and aflatoxin B1 inhibitory efficacy of nanoencapsulated Pelargonium graveolens L. essential oil and its mode of action

The study reports the antifungal and aflatoxin B-1 (AFB(1)) inhibitory mode of action of nanoencapsulated Pelargonium graveolens L. essential oil (Ne-PGEO). Nanoencapsulation of PGEO was prepared using chitosan nanoparticles and interactions were confirmed by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis. Chemical composition of PGEO was explored by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis where citronellyl formate (19.2%), linalool (15.2%), menthone (16.7%), and isomenthone (12.2%) were identified as the major compounds. Ne-PGEO inhibited the growth and aflatoxin B-1 production by Aspergillus flavus at 1.00 mu LmL(-1), which was lower than the free PGEO at 1.25 mu LmL(-1). The antifungal and aflatoxin B-1 inhibitory mechanism of Ne-BPEO were related to a decrease in ergosterol content, carbon source utilization, enhancement of ions leakage, and impairment in the functioning of the ver-1 gene. In addition, the Ne-PGEO effectively preserves the organoleptic (color, taste, odour, and texture) and nutritional properties of the model food (maize grain). In view of enhanced antifungal, anti-aflatoxin activity, and sensory attributes, the results suggested that Ne-PGEO could be used as a plant-based food preservative to enhance the shelf-life of food commodities.