In vitro Antifungal Activity of Dehydrozingerone and its Fungitoxic Properties.

The efficacy of Dehydrozingerone (DZ; dehydroderivative of zingerone) as an antifungal agent and its mode
of action against food spoilage fungal pathogens was studied and presented. DZ is a constituent of ginger (Zingiber officinale
rhizomes) and structural half analogue of curcumin. Its efficacy against Aspergillus oryzae, Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus
niger, Aspergillus ochraceus, Fusarium oxysporum and Penicillium chrysogenum was evaluated. Effect of DZ on the growth and
sporulation of A. ochraceus was also studied. The fungal species were susceptible to DZ and the minimum inhibitory
concentration and fungicidal concentration ranged from 755 to 911 μM and 880 to 1041 μM respectively. The mycelial
and spore germination was significantly inhibited; reduction in the weight of the cell mass, carbohydrate, protein, DNA
and RNA constituents in the cells isolated from cultures of A. ochraceus grown with DZ were observed. Scanning electron
microscopy studies revealed morphological observations such as cell lysis, inhibition and morphological alterations in
hyphae and sporulation in A. ochraceus on treatment with DZ.