Biocontrol of mycotoxigenic fungi in feedstuff using spices and Ganoderma mushroom

Food and feed contamination with mycotoxin is a global issue that represents major health risks to both animals and humans. The antifungal properties of spices and Ganoderma mushroom, as food preservatives, against seven toxigenic fungi isolated from Egyptian rabbit, poultry, and cow feed were investigated in this study. The growth diameter of fungal colonies was measured separately on plates of Potato dextrose agar medium with different spices at a concentration of 60 g/L. Clove, cinnamon, and turmeric completely inhibited all of the fungi tested, while the rest of the spices had a moderate to variable inhibitory effect, and several spices (coriander, fennel, anise, and caraway) even promoted the fungal growth. The five best effective spices with 16 concentrations (0.05 to 100 g/L) were used to find minimum inhibition concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) for each fungal isolate separately. Clove and cinnamon were the most effective spices against all tested fungal isolates, with MIC of 0.05-1 g/L and MFC of 3-10 g/L. Hence, clove and cinnamon are recommended, as the best antifungal spices that can easily inhibit fungal growth at a minimal concentration. Mycelial plugs of Ganoderma mbrekobenum exhibited a high inhibition activity against the growth of Monascus ruber, Aspergillus ochraceus, and Penicillium sp. The antifungal activities of aqueous and organic extracts of Ganoderma mushroom were investigated, and the methanol-chloroform extract was shown to have the maximum activity, making it a good antifungal agent.