Abstract:
Some fungal species are toxigenic, for example Aspergillus flavus which can produce aflatoxin. Various methods have been conducted to reduce aflatoxin contamination in foods, among others using antimicrobial compounds derived from natural plant extract. Kebar grass (Biophytum petersianum Klotszch) is one of herbs that has potency as antimicrobe. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of three types of model media i.e. carbohydrate-enriched media, fat-enriched media, and protein- enriched media containing kebar grass extract on the growth of aflatoxigenic A. flavus. Kebar grass extract at concentrations of 5, 10, and 20 mg mL-1 was extracted using various solvents, i.e. hexane, ethyl acetate, methanol, hexane-ethyl acetate, hexane-ethyl ac etate-methanol, and aquadest extracts was tested on the growth of A. flavus.The result showed that kebar grass extract of hexane-ethyl acetate-methanol at concentration of 20 mg ml-1 in carbohydrate- enriched medium, fat-enriched medium, and protein- enriched medium caused higher growth inhibition of A. flavus than other extracts, i.e. 96.2, 100, and 96.1%, respectevely. The other extracts had growth inhibition less than 90%. The results obtained in the present study suggest that kebar grass extract can be used to inhibit the growth of A. flavus toxigenic.
