Recent advances on the efficacy of essential oils on mycotoxin secretion and their mode of action

Abstract

Essential oils, as extracted compounds from plants, are volatile and aromatic liquids which their unique aromatic compounds give each essential oil its distinctive essence. Fungi toxins can induce various adverse health effects like allergy, cancer, and immunosuppression. Moreover, fungal spoilage impacts pharmaceutical and food industries economic state. A drop in the utilization of synthetic compounds as food prophylaxis has occurred due to several factors such as hygiene agents’ alerts and stricter legal regulations. Therefore, the applications of natural substances such as essential oils have increased in recent years. Oregano, cinnamon, thyme, rosemary, fennel, clove, palmarosa, and eucalyptus have been the highest employed essential oils against mycotoxigenic fungi and their mycotoxins in studies conducted in the past decade. Essential oils inhibit fungi growth and mycotoxin synthesis via diverse pathways including modified fungal growth rate and extended lag phase, disruption of cell permeability, disruption of the electron transport chain and manipulating gene expression patterns and metabolic processes. In the present review, we will investigate the implications and efficacy of essential oils in preventing the growth of mycotoxigenic fungi, eliminating mycotoxins and their mechanism of actions conducted in the last decade.

Highlights

1. The most investigated toxigenic genera are Aspergillus, Fusarium and Penicillium Spp.

2. AB1, AG1, OTA and AB2 are the most frequently studied toxins

3. Oregano, cinnamon and thyme are mostly exploited EOs on toxigenic fungi & mycotoxins

4. Oregano, thyme & cinnamon are the most significant antifungals on toxigenic genera

5. Cinnamon, oregano & cinnamaldehyde are the fittest antimycotoxins on DON, OTA & AFB1

Keywords:

• Essential oils
• mycotoxigenic fungi
• mycotoxins
• detoxification
• decontamination
• food safety

Disclosure statement

The authors declared that there is no conflict of interest.

Additional information

Funding

This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors.