Mycopopulation in five important cultivated medicinal plants in Serbia

The mycopopulation of medicinal and aromatic plant seeds used as herbal drugs were studied during the last five years to find out the cause of their microbiological unacceptability. Commercial samples (produced by the Institute for Medicinal Plant Research „Dr J. Pančić“, Belgrade, Serbia) of caraway (Carum carvi L.), coriander (Coriandrum sativum L.), flax (Linum usitatissimum L.), fenugreek (Trigonella foenum-graecum) and fennel (Foeniculum vulgare Mill.) were tested.

Total of 21 fungal species from 17 genera were isolated: 15 spp. from 11 genera (caraway), 10 spp. from eight genera (coriander), 14 species from nine genera (flax), 17 spp. from 11 genera (fenugreek) and 13 spp. from 11 genera (fennel).

The isolated fungi belong to the genera Fusarium, Alternaria, Phoma, Sclerotinia, Cladosporium, Penicillium, Aspergillus, Mucor, Rhizopus, Cephalosporium, Chaetomium, Verticililum, Epicoccum, Myrothecium and Physarum.

The most common fungus on seeds was Alternaria alternata, which was isolated from all examinated seeds of medical and aromatic plants. Eleven species belong to the genus Fusarium: Fusarium oxysporum (31.4%), F. verticillioides (17.7%), F. solani (9.7%), F. equiseti (5.8%), F. proliferatum (4.5%),F. avenaceum (3.0%), F. semitectum (3.0%), F. sporotrichioides (2.2%), F. tricinctum (2.2%), F. graminearum (2.1%) and F. acuminatum (2.0%). The sclerotia of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum were found only in one seed lot of caraway. The most of them is known as producer of mycotoxins.

On the base of qualitative and quantitative findings on recorded mycoflora of tested seed samples, to assure safety and quality control requirements, results of the analysis of related cytotoxins should be find as detrimental in making final decision on the usability of products.

Acknowledgements: The part of this study was supported by the Serbian Ministry of Science, through the Project TR-2005.