The Application of Pomegranate, Sugar Apple, and Eggplant Peel Extracts Suppresses Aspergillus flavus Growth and Aflatoxin B1 Biosynthesis Pathway

Even though the green revolution was a significant turning point in agriculture, it also marked by widespread use of chemical pesticides, which prompted severe concerns about their influence on human and environmental health. As result, demand for healthier more environmentally friendly alternatives to control plant diseases avoid food spoilage is intensifying. Among proposed alternatives, by-product extracts, especially from most consumed fruits Egypt, eggplant, sugar apple, pomegranate peel wastes, were largely ignored. Hence, we chose them evaluate antifungal antiaflatoxigenic activities against maize fungus, Aspergillus flavus. All extracts exhibited multiple degrees growth aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) inhibitory (35.52% 91.18%) broth media. Additionally, diethyl ether 50% ethanol 75% 25% highest AFB1 inhibition, 96.11%, 94.85%, 78.83%, respectively, after one month treated-maize storage. At same time, Topsin fungicide demonstrated an inhibition ratio 72.95%. The relative transcriptional levels three structural two regulatory genes, aflD, aflP, aflQ, aflR, aflS, downregulated compared infected control. phenolic content (116.88 mg GAEs/g DW) extract, while antioxidant activity apple extract (94.02 µg/mL). abundant active compounds found GC-MS analysis fruit extracts: α-kaurene, α-fenchene, p-allylphenol, octadecanoic acid, 3,5-dihydroxy phenol, hexestrol, xanthinin, linoleic acid. Finally, waste could be prospective source ecological that act as safer protective inhibit production