Antimould microbial and plant metabolites with potential use in intelligent food packaging

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Microbiology
• Natural Product Chemistry

Background:

• Food spoilage by molds like Penicillium roqueforti and Aspergillus niger poses significant health risks and economic losses.
• Intelligent packaging utilizing biodegradable films with bioactive compounds is an emerging solution for food preservation.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the antifungal activity of 12 bacterial, fungal, and plant metabolites against P. roqueforti and A. niger.
• To identify promising natural compounds for use as biofungicides in food packaging.

Main Methods:

• In vitro screening of 12 natural metabolites for inhibitory effects on P. roqueforti and A. niger growth.
• Determination of minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC90) at various incubation times (48h and 72h).

Main Results:

• α-costic acid and ungeremine demonstrated significant inhibition (>60%) of both fungal strains at 72h, with activity persisting up to 96h.
• Ungeremine exhibited potent activity with MIC90 values <0.003 mg/mL against P. roqueforti at 48h and 0.2 mg/mL against A. niger at 48h.
• α-costic acid generally showed higher MIC values compared to ungeremine at 48h and 72h.

Conclusions:

• α-costic acid and ungeremine are highly promising natural biofungicides against P. roqueforti and A. niger.
• These compounds represent a viable option for incorporation into eco-friendly intelligent food packaging to combat mold infestation.