Antifungal activity of essential oils when associated with sodium chloride or fatty acids

Abstract

The inhibition of mycelium growth in a Zygorhynchus sp. and an Aspergillus niger isolates was studied. The inhibition rates (IR) caused by 4 essential oils (EO), 5 fatty acids and sodium chloride at various concentrations were determined in Sabouraud Dextrose Agar. A synergy of action was observed between sodium chloride at 7.5% and the EO of thyme (0.04%), camomile (0.4%) and mugwort (0.2 and 0.1%) on A. niger and between sodium chloride (5%) and the EO of camomile (0.1%) and mugwort (0.1 and 0.01%) and sodium chloride (7.5%) and eucalyptus EO (0.4 and 0.2%) on Zygorhynchus sp. Camomile EO (0.13%) associated with propionic acid (0.075%), lauric acid (0.05%) or oleic acid (0.15%) led to synergetic effect on Zygorhynchus sp. as well as thyme EO (0.04 and 0.05%, respectively) with propionic acid (0.1%) and linolenic acid (0.075%) on A. niger. Other combinations exerted no higher effects than each of the substances used alone. Practical applications of the results observed were discussed