engleski

ANTIFUNGAL ACTIVITY OF THYMOL AND ESSENTIAL OIL OF THYME ON MOULDS FROM DAMP WALLS

Mould spores are found in large number in indoor and outdoor environment and they have been recognised as causative agents of various diseases in humans (irritation of respiratory mucous membranes, acute and chronic damage of respiratory organs and mycotoxicoses). One of the mould sources in indoor environment is a damp wall of the dwellings. Essential oils and their compounds are promising antifungal agents which could be aplied in reduction of the mould spores in indoor environment. The first objective of the study was to determine the occurrence of various types of moulds in wall scrapes (N=50) collected from damp houses and apartments in Zagreb. Two strains of Stachybotrys chartarum and three strains of Aspergillus versicolor were isolated from damp dwellings in Slovakia. The second part of the study was to determine antifungal activities of thymol (TH) and essential oil of thyme (Thymus vulgaris L.) (EOT) by diffusion, dilution method and exposure to aerosol. Samples of wall scrapes were plated on Sabouraud 2% (w/V)-glucose agar (SGA) with antibiotics, and incubated at 25+20C for the 5-7 days. Moulds were identified on the basis of their macro- and microscopic characteristics after subculturing on Czapek and Malt agar. Commercially available EOT and TH were used. During the examination of wall scrapes from damp dwellings in Zagreb the members of the following mould genera were isolated ; Aspergillus (50%), Penicillium (24%) Rhizopus (18%), Trichoderma (16%), Alternaria (14%), Ulocladium and Pithomyces (10%) Cladosporium (6%) and Chaetomium (2%). All tested moulds showed sensitivity to TH and EOT (10 ?L) in diffusion method with inhibition zones ranged from 7 mm (Aspergillus spp.) to inhibition of sporulation and/or growth (Cladosporium spp. Alternaria spp.). MIC values of both TH and EOT were bellow 0.2 % (V/V) in dilution method, but TH showed stronger antifungal activity than EOT. Aerosol of thyme essential oil (average 0.0825 ?L/m3) strongly suppressed the sporulation of the 42 tested mould strains during one month.

damp wall; fungi; toxigenic fungi; moulds; thymol; essentialoil of thyme; Thymus vulgaris; antifungal; aerosol

Rad je ostvaren suradnjom na projektu 0006641 i s dr.sc. Elenom Pieckovom, Slovak Medical University, Bratislava