Evaluation of the antifungal effects of rosemary oil and comparison with synthetic borneol and fungicide on the growth of Aspergillus flavus

Rosemary (Rosmarinus officinalis L.) with more than 240 active pharmacological and nutritional compounds is important from the botanical point of view. Pharmacological studies show the antifungal properties of Rosemary plant. The essential oil analyses of the aerial parts of rosemary collected from Kerman province were obtained using gas chromatography and gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The study of antifungal effects of the oil sample tested against strain of Aspergillus flavus (PTCC = 5004) fungi by disc diffusion method via average inhibition zone. The results showed that yield of Rosemary oil from Kerman province was 3.2%. Forty-one compounds were identified in the essential oil concluded as 99.74% of the total oil. The major components were α-pinene (15.52%), camphor (11.66%), verbenone (11.10%) and 1, 8-cineole (10.63%). The results showed that essential oil from rosemary plant at 1, 1/2 and 1/4 oil dilutions exhibited strong antifungal activity than gentamycin antibiotic on A. flavus and exhibited moderate of borneol was at 10% dilution. Benomil fungicide at 10% dilution had no inhibitory effect on A. flavus. Large percentage antifungal activities of Rosemary oil are related with α-pinene of monoterpenes as the main compound.   Key words: Rosmarinus officinalis L., essential oil, Aspergillus flavus, aflatoxin, borneol.