The antifungal properties of peppermint and thyme essential oils misted in broiler houses

This study aimed at evaluating if essential oils misted in broiler houses reduce environmental fungi counts. The investigation was conducted in three experimental rooms, where broiler chickens were reared between 1 to 42 d of age. Every three days, the rooms were fogged with pure water (control) or with aqueous solutions of peppermint or thyme oils. On the next day, fogging samples from the air, flat surfaces, and litter were collected and quantitatively and qualitatively analysed for fungal contamination. The treatment with essential oils showed promising results. In the room fogged with thyme oil, aerial fungi growth was not as evident as in the control room, and presented the lowest average fungi count. Thyme oil was also the most effective in reducing fungi colonization on drinker surfaces and litter. The use of peppermint oil also reduced the population of air, wall, surface and litter fungi, although some exceptions were noted. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium and Saccharomyces genera were identified most frequently. The effect of essential oils was noticeable in the last two weeks, when the counts of Aspergillus sp. were 75% (thyme oil) and 46% (peppermint oil) lower in comparison with the control group. The results show that fogging broiler houses with essential oils may be an effective prevention method against fungal aerosol in broiler houses. However, further investigations to determine the synergistic effect of different oils and their compounds, and the best possible doses and methods of application in the field are needed.

The antifungal properties of peppermint and thyme essential oils misted in broiler houses

This study aimed at evaluating if essential oils misted in broiler houses reduce environmental fungi counts. The investigation was conducted in three experimental rooms, where broiler chickens were reared between 1 to 42 d of age. Every three days, the rooms were fogged with pure water (control) or with aqueous solutions of peppermint or thyme oils. On the next day, fogging samples from the air, flat surfaces, and litter were collected and quantitatively and qualitatively analysed for fungal contamination. The treatment with essential oils showed promising results. In the room fogged with thyme oil, aerial fungi growth was not as evident as in the control room, and presented the lowest average fungi count. Thyme oil was also the most effective in reducing fungi colonization on drinker surfaces and litter. The use of peppermint oil also reduced the population of air, wall, surface and litter fungi, although some exceptions were noted. Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium and Saccharomyces genera were identified most frequently. The effect of essential oils was noticeable in the last two weeks, when the counts of Aspergillus sp. were 75% (thyme oil) and 46% (peppermint oil) lower in comparison with the control group. The results show that fogging broiler houses with essential oils may be an effective prevention method against fungal aerosol in broiler houses. However, further investigations to determine the synergistic effect of different oils and their compounds, and the best possible doses and methods of application in the field are needed.(AU)

Comportamento do maracujazeiro amarelo, variedade Afruvec, ante uma população de Fusarium solani, agente causal da podridão do colo / Behaviour of yellow passion fruit, Afruvec variety, in relation to a population of Fusarium solani, causal agent of collar rot

O objetivo do presente trabalho foi verificar o comportamento do maracujazeiro amarelo, variedade Afruvec, ante uma população de Fusarium solani, obtida desse mesmo hospedeiro. O delineamento adotado foi o de blocos ao acaso, contendo dez tratamentos (nove isolados e tratamento testemunha), com quatro repetições, sendo cada parcela representada por um vaso contendo uma planta. Um disco do meio de cultura, colonizado com cada isolado do fungo, foi inoculado no colo ferido das plantas da variedade Afruvec, dois meses após a semeadura. Avaliou-se a patogenicidade, a incidência (número de plantas mortas) e a severidade da doença (comprimento da lesão no colo), até os sessenta dias após a inoculação. A variedade Afruvec foi suscetível ao fungo e apresentou variabilidade quanto à incidência e severidade da doença diante dos diferentes isolados. A população do fungo apresentou variabilidade em relação à agressividade. Com a evidência de diversidade genética na população do fungo, recomenda-se, também, nos testes de seleção de materiais ao patógeno, a avaliação desses materiais em diferentes localidades com histórico da doença ou inoculação com uma mistura de isolados do fungo, a fim de se conhecer a resistência ampla do genótipo ao patógeno.

The objective of the present work was to verify the behavior of yellow passion fruit, Afruvec variety, in relation to a population of Fusarium solani, obtained from this crop. The experimental delineation was random blocks, containing 10 treatments [9 isolates and 1 control treatment], with 4 repetitions, each plot being represented by a vase containing a plant. A disk of culture medium colonized by each isolate of the fungus was inoculated in the wounded collar region of the plants of the Afruvec variety two months after sowing. The appraised parameters were: the pathogenicity, the incidence (number of dead plants) and the severity of the disease (length of the lesion in the collar region), until 60 days after inoculation. The Afruvec variety was susceptible to the fungus and also presented variability as to the severity of the disease and incidence in relation to the different isolates. The population of the fungus showed variability in regard to aggressiveness. In light of the evidence of genetic diversity in the F. solani population, it is also suggested, in the tests of selection of materials to the pathogen, that these materials should be evaluated in different places with a history of the disease or inoculation with a pool of isolates of the fungus, in order to know the wide resistance of the genotype to the pathogen.