Antifungal and Preservative Effect of Different Species of Aframomum (K. Schum) on Fungi Isolated from Raw Meat and Fish

Aframomum species (Aframomum danielli, Aframomum melegueta and Aframomum sceptrum) are used traditionally as medicine and food preservatives. Synthetic preservatives have been reported to be carcinogenic; hence, the continuous search for a natural preservative. This study was designed to validate the efficacy of the three named Aframomum species as a preservative against fungi that causes spoilage in raw fish and meat. The methanolic extracts of the samples were screened against Aspergillus tamarii, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus ochraceus and Trichoderma sp. using pour plate technique. The fungi were isolated from the raw fish and meat by the method of serial dilution then pour plated into Potatoes Dextro Agar (PDA) incubated at 37ºC for 7 days. The fungi observed were subcultured to get pure culture. The three samples showed significant antifungal activities against Aspergillus tamarii, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus ochraceus and Trichoderma sp. at 25%, 50% and 75% concentrations. The significant antifungal activities displayed by extract of these samples could be attributed to their phytochemical and nutritional components of the samples as well as their antioxidant activity. The three samples could be valuable natural preservatives with additional therapeutic potential.