ANTIFUNGAL EFFECTS OF CAPSAICIN AND CHILE PIQUIN EXTRACTS (CAPSICUM ANNUUM L. VAR. AVICULARE) IN VITRO ON ASPERGILLUS FLAVUS GROWTH

Abstract

The piquin chile as a component of submontane shrubland in northeastern Mexico, is an
annual plant that also grows and develops
across the tropics. In addition to its culinary
uses the fruit has been reported as having
compounds with stimulant, choleretic and
digestive activity, helpful in the treatment
of cardiovascular and chronic degenerative diseases and able to reduce the risk of
cancer or act as a bactericide. Given this
diversity of effects and seeking alternatives
to help improve the quality of agricultural
production, the biological activity of ethanol extracts of piquin chile fruits (Capsicum
annuum var. aviculare L.) and of capsaicin
on Aspergillus flavus growth was evaluated,
using two techniques: 1) In the well in plate
diffusion technique, 20 μL of capsaicin or
extract at a concentration of 200, 400, 600,
800 and 1000 ppm were poured into wells
made in potato dextrose agar (PDA) plates
previously inoculated with A. flavus spores.
2) For the dilution technique, 2 mL of capsaicin or fruit extract in the concentrations
mentioned were added to PDA making a
homogeneous mixture before solidification.
The activity of the treatments was reflected
by the formation of an inhibition halo and
the radial growth of fungus in each technique, respectively. The results showed that
both capsaicin and piquin chile extracts
significantly inhibited radial growths of A.
flavus, these results are statistically equal to
those obtained by applying the commercial
fungicide captan.