Antifungal Effects of Essential Oils of Zataria multiflora, Mentha pulegium, and Mentha piperita

Background: Among important fungi associated with foods are Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., and Geotrichum spp. In this study, we evaluated antifungal effects of Essential Oils (EOs) of Zataria multiflora, Mentha pulegium, and Mentha piperita.   Methods: Antifungal properties of EOs of M. piperita, M. pulegium, and Z. multiflora against Aspergillus spp., Penicillium spp., and Geotrichum candidum were determined by agar well diffusion and broth macrodilution method. Data were analyzed by SPSS 20. Results: Among three studied plant EOs, Z. multiflora EO had the strongest antifungal activity (p<0.05) on tested fungi; so that the Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) and Minimum Fungicidal Concentration (MFC) were 0.01 and 0.3% for G. candidum, 0.005 and 0.3% for Penicillium spp., and 0.1 and 0.3% for Aspergillus spp. Conclusion: All three studied plant EOs showed antifungal activities. However, as Z. multiflora EO showed the most antifungal effect, it could be specially suggested as natural powerful antifungal preservatives in the food industry. DOI: 10.18502/jfqhc.8.1.5462