The impact of essential oil applications on kernel quality of wheat grains infected with fusarium head blight

It has been broadly demonstrated that essential oils possess antimicrobial properties and can effectively inhibit phytopathogenic fungi. Wheat production faces a major threat from fusarium head blight (FHB) due to the significant yield and quality losses it causes. This study aims to explore the effects of various essential oils and synthetic fungicides on the nutritional properties and yield of wheat infected by FHB.

Although FHB infection increased the levels of crude protein, ash, oil, total dietary fiber, phytic acid, and amylopectin in the grain, it led to a decrease in yield, resistance, non-resistant, and total starch contents. Samples infected with FHB had the highest mineral substance contents. FHB infection also caused changes in gluten structure, significantly reducing pasting properties, while it increased the levels of amino acids such as alanine, arginine, aspartic acid, glutamine, histidine, lysine, methionine, and proline.

The essential oils and synthetic fungicides tested in the experiment did not entirely suppress FHB. The study revealed that the nutritional properties of the wheat samples harvested from the applications of the synthetic fungicide Topguard® EQ and the essential oils thymol, carvone, and safraleine were close to the nutritional properties of the uninfected grains.