Effect of plant extracts on citrinin production by Penicillium citrinum

CARDIERI, R.; FERNÁNDEZ PINTO, V.; PATRIARCA, A.

Mérida, Yucatán

Congreso; VI Congreso Latinoamericano de Micotoxicología; 2010

Sociedad Latinoamericana de Micotoxicología (SLAM)

The excessive and indiscriminate use of organic pesticides has resulted in ill effects on soil health, health hazards to humans, toxicity to useful non-targeted animals and environmental pollution (Roy & Dureja, 1998). Therefore, alternatives to synthetic pesticides are needed. Effective phytocompounds are expected to be far more advantageous than synthetic pesticides, as they are easily decomposable, not environmental pollutants and possess no residual or phytotoxic properties (Rao 1990). The effects of plant extracts and essential oils on the growth of food spoilage and plant pathogenic fungi have been studied; however, there is hardly any data on the effect of these compounds on mycotoxin production by toxigenic fungi.