In vitro antifungal activity of residues from essential oil industry against Penicillium verrucosum, a common contaminant of ripening cheeses

Abstract

Essential oil (EO) industry produces a considerable amount of solid residues during the distillation process, which results in pollution, management and economic problems worldwide. However, these wastes are especially rich in high added-value compounds that can be exploited as natural sources of bioactive compounds. In this connection, ethanolic extracts of solid agro-industrial residues from distillation of four Lamiaceae species were chemically and biologically characterized. The phenolic profile of the extracts was tentatively determined by LC-DAD-MS and the antifungal activity against Penicillium verrucosum was established in vitro by means of the broth microdilution M38-A method. Solid residues from the industrial distillation of aromatic plants contain natural substances that may satisfactorily prevent fungal contamination on cheeses as well as providing a commercial and economical opportunity to agricultural by-products.