International Research Journal of Microbiology

Antifungal activity of Five Plant Essential Oils against wood decay fungi isolated from an old house at the Medina of Fez

Abstract

Mourad Zyani, Dounia Mortabit Soumya El Abed, Adnane Remmal Saad Ibnsouda Koraichi*

Oils from five medicinal plants were screened for their activities against wood rot fungi were isolated from an old house at the historic medina of Fez. The antimycotic activity was investigated by disc diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of oils by agar dilution method. The oils of Origanum compactum, Eugenia caryophyllata and Ocimum basilicaum have showed a maximum antimycotic activity against wood fungi as compared to control. In contrast, oil of Thymus vulgaris and Melaleuca alternafolia exhibited moderate activity against these fungi. Furthermore, mixed oils of Origanum compactum and Ocimum basilicum showed maximum activity as compared to control. Altogether, these results support the concept that plant oils may be used as efficient preservatives of wood in the historic monuments at the medina of Fez.

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