Isolation of methyl syringate as a specific aflatoxin production inhibitor from the essential oil of Betula alba and aflatoxin production inhibitory activities of its related compounds.

Usuma Jermnak, Tomoya Yoshinari, Yasumasa Sugiyama, Rie Tsuyuki, Hiromichi Nagasawa, Shohei Sakuda

Department of Applied Biological Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, 1-1-1 Yayoi, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-8657, Japan.

International journal of food microbiology 2012 Feb 15

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Methyl syringate was isolated from the essential oil of Betula alba as an aflatoxin production inhibitor. It inhibited aflatoxin production of Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus flavus with IC(50) values of 0.9 and 0.8 mM, respectively, without significantly inhibiting fungal growth. Methyl syringate reduced mRNA levels of genes (aflR, pksA, and omtA) encoding proteins required for aflatoxin bios ynthesis. Methyl gallate, methyl 3,4,5-trimethoxybenzoate, and methyl 3-O-methylgallate inhibited both aflatoxin production and fungal growth of A. parasiticus and A. flavus. However, their acids and syringic acid did not inhibit aflatoxin production and growth of A. parasiticus significantly, although gallic acid inhibited aflatoxin production of A. flavus with selectivity. The 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity of methyl syringate was much weaker than that of gallic acid. These results showed that methyl syringate has a unique inhibitory activity toward aflatoxin production with a different mode of action from that of gallic acid. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Citation

Usuma Jermnak, Tomoya Yoshinari, Yasumasa Sugiyama, Rie Tsuyuki, Hiromichi Nagasawa, Shohei Sakuda. Isolation of methyl syringate as a specific aflatoxin production inhibitor from the essential oil of Betula alba and aflatoxin production inhibitory activities of its related compounds. International journal of food microbiology. 2012 Feb 15;153(3):339-44