Fabrication, Characterization, and Antifungal Assessment of Oregano Essential Oil-Loaded Nano-silica Against Curvularia lunata in Brown Rot of Agaricus bisporus Storage

In this study, we developed oregano essential oil-mesoporous nano-silica (OEO-MSNPs), a new and safe eco-friendly antifungal system. MSNPs showed ordered mesoporous structures by TEM, which can provide space for loading OEO. The FTIR characterization of MSNPs and OEO-MSNPs showed that OEO was successfully embedded into the MSNPs. The loading rate of OEO-MSNPs to OEO reached about 60%, and OEO-MSNPs had better antifungal activity against the mold (Curvularia lunata MF380802.1) found in postharvest decayed Agaricus bisporus. The antifungal effects of OEO-MSNPs against Curvularia lunata MF380802.1 (C. lunata) were investigated. Then, our results showed that the antifungal effect of OEO-MSNPs had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and a minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) at 0.20 mg/mL and 0.40 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the integrity of cell membranes and nuclear membranes of C. lunata was destroyed during the interaction with OEO-MSNPs, resulting in the exudation of nucleic acids, proteins, and other substances in vitro. This work provides a theoretical basis for the development of effective treatments to address the infection of C. lunata during the storage and preservation of Agaricus bisporus. This newly developed method for encapsulating EOs in MSNPs has potential application in the design of effective antimicrobial materials.