IN VITRO RESEARCH STUDY ON THE ANTIMICROBIAL ACTIVITY OF SEA BUCKTHORN, BLACK CUMIN AND GRAPE SEED ESSENTIAL OILS AGAINST SELECTED FOOD SPOILAGE FUNGI

Natural antimicrobial agents such as essential oils obtained from plants can control the growth of different food spoilage microorganisms, thus prolonging the shelf-life and quality of food products. As essential oils are not toxic and already used as flavoring agents, they can be used as substituents for chemical preservatives used to control microbial growth. This study aimed to evaluate the antimicrobial activity by determining the minimum inhibitory concentrations (MIC) of sea buckthorn, black cumin, and grape seed essential oils over four different mould strains usually occurring in the spoilage of fruit products. The fungi used in the experimental research were Penicillium expansum, Fusarium oxysporum, Botrytis cinerea, and Aspergillus flavus. To establish the minimum inhibitory concentration of the essential oils, the agar disc diffusion technique was used. The results showed that all essential oils inhibited the growth of Penicillium expansum and Aspergillus flavus strains at a minimum volume of essential oil of 30 mu L.