Abstract
Antifungal and antiaflatoxigenic potential of culinary plant Murraya koenigii and its culinary oil food additive potential were reported. Aspergillus sp. obtained were evaluated for their aflatoxigenic xerophilic potential. The fungitoxicity of extracts on highly aflatoxigenic xerophilic A. flavus MTCC10680 isolate was determined using poisoned food technique. The biomass mycelial dry weight and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) production was also measured. The oil samples were fried with M. koenigii leaves and the changes in aflatoxin reduction, endogenous fatty acid (FA) composition and other quality parameters in artificially contaminated samples were determined. Bioactive component Gas Chromatography Mass Spectroscopy (GC–MS) analyses and its in silico interaction with modeled ver1 protein were also determined. The mean values of quality parameters indicated the conformation of the samples to the prescribed standards. Frying artificially contaminated oil with M. koenigii showed reductions of 72% AFB1 and 73.58% AFB2 with no strategic FA compositional change. All the extracts showed differential phytochemical extraction, varied mycelial as well as aflatoxin inhibitory activity. The methanol extract showed 99.34% AFB1 and 99.6% AFB2 inhibition. 13 bioactive compounds were shown to interact with ver1 protein. Frying oil with M. koenigii could lead to long storage reduction in aflatoxin and frying performance increase without nutritional loss.
► Reports Murraya koenigii antifungal and anti-aflatoxigenic potentials ► Frying contaminated oil with M. koenigii reduced aflatoxin. ► M. koenigii phytochemicals could interfere with aflatoxin synthesis pathways.