Growth Inhibition of Aspergillus niger and Penicillium italicum by Seed Kernel Oil from Mango (Mangifera indica L.)

Abstract

The present study aims to evaluate the fungal inhibitory activity of seed kernel oil extracted from mango (Mangifera indica L.) fruit. Mango is one of the most important tropical fruits that is abundant in Nigeria. Thus, there is an abundant supply of mango seed kernels which are considered as wastes after consumption or industrial processing of mango fruits. The oil was extracted from the mango seed kernels by solvent extraction process. Agar dilution assay was used to evaluate the inhibitory activity of the mango seed kernel oil against Aspergillus niger and Penicillium italicum. The mango seed kernel oil (MSKO) was found to inhibit growth of the two fungi tested at different concentrations (1.33%, 2.67% and 4.0%). 4% concentration of MSKO in the agar brought about a reduction in the mycelial growth diameter of A. niger at Day 7 from 44.0 ± 1.41 mm (control) to 35.5 ± 0.71 mm while the reduction in the mycelial growth diameter of P. italicum at Day 7 was from 44.0 ± 14.14 mm (control) to 33.0 ± 0.00 mm. Mango seed kernel oil produced mycelium growth inhibition of A. niger and P. italicum at 4% concentration, with percentage inhibitions of 19.32% and 25.0%, respectively. The results revealed that P. italicum was more sensitive to the mango seed kernel oil than A. niger. These results suggest that mango seed kernel oil could have potential applications in the food industry to prevent fungal-associated food spoilage from important pathogenic genera Aspergillus and Penicillium.

Keywords: Growth inhibition, Mango seed kernel oil, Aspergillus niger, Penicillium italicum, Inhibitory effect