• The Plant Pathology Journal
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.97-102
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• 2007

A total of 39 essential oils were tested for antifungal activities as volatile compounds against five phytopathogenic fungi at a dose of 1 ${\mu}l$ per plate. Five essential oils showed inhibitory activities against mycelial growth of at least one phytopathogenic fungus. Origanum vulgare essential oil inhibited mycelial growth of all of the five fungi tested. Both Cuminum cyminum and Eucalyptus citriodora oils displayed in vitro antifungal activities against four phytopathogenic fungi except for Colletotrichum gloeosporioides. The essential oil of Thymus vulgaris suppressed the mycelial growth of C. gloeosporioides, Fusarium oxysporum and Rhizoctonia solani and that of Cymbopogon citratus was active to only F. oxysporum. The chemical compositions of the five active essential oils were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. This study suggests that both E. citriodora and C. cyminum oils have a potential as antifungal preservatives for the control of storage diseases of various crops.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.4
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• pp.805-809
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• 2004

The antimite activities of cumin seed oil-derived cuminaldehyde and eleven commercial components of Cuminum cyminum oil were examined against Dermatophagoides farinae and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus adults and compared with those of benzyl benzoate and N,N-diethyl-m-toluamide. Responses varied according to dose and mite species. On the basis of $LD_{50}$ values, the compound most toxic to D. farinae adults was cuminaldehyde ($2.40\mug/cm^2$) followed by benzyl benzoate ($9.32\mug/cm^2$), thymol ($9.43\mug/cm^2$), DEET ($36.84\mug/cm^2$), and 3-carene ($42.11\mug/cm^2$). Against D. pteronyssinus adults, cuminaldehyde ($1.94\mug/cm^2$) was much more effective than benzyl benzoate ($6.50\mug/cm^2$) thymol ($6.92\mug/cm^2$), DEET ($17.79\mug/cm^2$), and 3-carene ($39.85\mug/cm^2$). These results indicate that the antimite activity of cumin seed oil could be caused by cuminaldehyde. Cuminaldehyde was about 3.9 and 3.4 times more toxic than benzyl benzoate against D. farinae and D. pteronyssinus adults, respectively. Therefore, further study is needed to confirm the findings of this study and the possibility of cuminaldehyde as a house dust mite control agent or a lead compound.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.14 no.5
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• pp.621-627
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• 2005

Halitosis is mainly caused by the presence of volatile sulfur-containing compounds (VSC's) produced by proteolytic periodontopathic bacteria in the oral cavity. Various mouth-rinses have been offered on the market as solutions to reduce halitosis. The aim of this study was to find a potent substance for the prevention of halitosis. The halitosis prevention substance (HPS) from cumin seed powder was purified by solvent extraction, silica gel column chromatography and preparative TLC to yield an oil phase (0.98%). Instrumental analysis such as FT-IR, $^1H$-NMR and $^{13}C$-NMR showed that HPS contained an -OH group, -HC=CH-, -COO-, and long chain acyl group. HPS was therefore determined to be 2-hydroxyethyl-${\beta}$-undecenate. HPS inhibited the growth of Fusobacterium nucleatum and Porphyromonas gingivalis, by 72.44% and 64.37% at $1{\times}10^{-2}\;M$, and by 99.85% and 91.62% at $5\;{\times}\;10^{-2}\;M$, respectively. It also inhibited the activity of L-methionine-${\alpha}$-deamino-${\gamma}$-mercaptomethane-lyase (METase), which was produced by oral microbes. Furthermore, the VSC production by oral microbes in the human mouth air decreased with increasing HPS concentration. These results suggested that HPS from cumin seed is an efficient halitosis prevention agent.