Phytochemical screening of garlic (Allium sativum L.) extracts and their antifungal and anti-aflatoxigenic activity against Aspergillus flavus

Ban Ali Ahmed, Bassam Yehia Ibrahim, Yasser Fakri Mustafa

Abstract


Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is recognized for its rich phytochemical composition and antimicrobial activity. This study assessed the effects of different extraction solvents and methods on phytochemical recovery from garlic cloves and evaluated the antifungal and anti-aflatoxigenic activity of the extracts against Aspergillus flavus. The study aimed to identify an efficient, eco-friendly extraction strategy to maximize bioactive compounds for fungal control and aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) reduction, supporting food safety and crop protection. Garlic cloves were extracted using five solvents of varying polarity (ethyl acetate, acetone, ethanol, ethanol/water 50%, and water) through three extraction methods: KSM, USM, and MSM. Phytochemical screening revealed marked variation in constituent profiles depending on both solvent and method, with ultrasound-assisted extraction (USM) yielding the highest diversity of phytochemicals. The 50% ethanol extract was particularly rich in flavonoids, tannins, phenols, alkaloids, saponins, steroids, and glycosides. Antifungal assays confirmed that the 50% ethanol extract showed the strongest inhibitory effect on A. flavus, suppressing mycelial growth by up to 98%, completely inhibiting spore production at the lowest concentration tested, and achieving nearly complete biomass reduction. This extract also resulted in the greatest reduction of AFB1 production, lowering toxin levels to below 9 µg/ml. In contrast, aqueous extracts exhibited weaker activity at low concentrations but improved significantly at higher doses. In conclusion, extraction using 50% ethanol combined with USM is highly effective for recovering antifungal and anti-aflatoxigenic compounds from garlic. It is recommended that this extraction approach be further explored for developing natural fungicidal formulations and for application in food and feed safety management.


Keywords


Aspergillus flavus, Morphological identification; Antifungal activity; Phytochemical profiling; Garlic extracts; Aflatoxin B1

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References


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DOI: https://doi.org/10.33804/10.33804/pp.010.01.5993

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