Antifungal Efficacy Of Rhus Tripartita Essential Oil Against Aflatoxin- And Ochratoxin-Producing Aspergillus In Wheat

Abstract

Wheat is more than a staple crop in Algeria, it's a pillar of food security. Yet, across the warm silos of the western regions, something invisible and dangerous quietly spreads: Aspergillus fungi, capable of producing deadly mycotoxins. Confronted with this silent threat, we turned to Rhus tripartita, a resilient Saharan plant long valued in traditional medicine but rarely explored in food preservation contexts. We extracted its essential oil using hydro-distillation and found a modest yield—only 0.19%—but what it lacked in quantity, it made up for in biological strength. Chemical screening revealed a diversity of secondary metabolites, including phenolics and flavonoids, suggesting an innate capacity to fight microbial threats. When tested against two major mycotoxigenic species, A. flavus-parasiticus and A. ochraceus, the oil didn’t just slow growth—it stopped it in its tracks, especially at higher concentrations. Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) ranged between 1.15 and 1.23 µL/mL, with A. ochraceus proving more sensitive. In both diffusion and broth assays, results were clear: this oil disrupts fungal growth and limits toxin production, without the need for synthetic chemicals. The implications are significant. A plant that thrives under harsh desert conditions may hold the key to safer grain storage—and perhaps a more sustainable model for food protection in vulnerable regions. This study is not just a dataset. It’s a step toward reconnecting with ancestral knowledge, rethinking how we preserve our food, and reaffirming that the answers to complex problems may sometimes lie in the roots of familiar plants.