Encapsulation of Apium graveolens essential oil into chitosan nanobiopolymer for protection of stored rice against Fusarium verticillioides and fumonisins contamination

Somenath Das; Anand Kumar Chaudhari

doi:10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29954

Encapsulation of Apium graveolens essential oil into chitosan nanobiopolymer for protection of stored rice against Fusarium verticillioides and fumonisins contamination

Heliyon. 2024 Apr 19;10(9):e29954. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e29954. eCollection 2024 May 15.

Authors

Somenath Das¹, Anand Kumar Chaudhari²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Botany, Burdwan Raj College, Purba Bardhaman, 713104, West Bengal, India.
² Department of Botany, Rajkiya Mahila Snatkottar Mahavidyalaya, Ghazipur, Uttar Pradesh, 233001, India.

Abstract

The present investigation entails the encapsulation of Apium graveolens essential oil into chitosan nanobiopolymer (AGEO-Ne) and assessment of its efficacy against Fusarium verticillioides contamination and fumonisins biosynthesis in stored rice (Oryza sativa L.) samples. The AGEO was encapsulated through ionic gelation process and characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), Dynamic light scattering (DLS), X-ray diffractometry (XRD), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses. The AGEO exhibited bi-phasic delivery pattern from chitosan matrix. The AGEO caused complete inhibition of F. verticillioides growth at 1.2 μL/mL, while fumonisin B₁ (FB₁) and B₂ (FB₂) biosynthesis at 1.2 and 1.0 μL/mL, respectively. On the other hand, nanoencapsulated AGEO (AGEO-Ne) exhibited improved efficacy, caused complete inhibition of fungal growth at 0.8 μL/mL, and FB₁ and FB₂ production at 0.8 and 0.6 μL/mL, respectively. AGEO-Ne caused 100 % inhibition of ergosterol synthesis at 0.8 μL/mL and exhibited greater efflux of Ca²⁺, Mg²⁺, K⁺ ions (18.99, 21.63, and 25.38 mg/L) as well as 260 and 280 nm absorbing materials from exposed fungal cells. The in silico interaction of granyl acetate and linalyl acetate with FUM 21 protein validated the molecular mechanism for inhibition of FB₁ and FB₂ biosynthesis. Further, improvement in antioxidant activity of AGEO-Ne was observed after encapsulation with IC₅₀ values of 12.08 and 6.40 μL/mL against DPPH and ABTS radicals, respectively. During in situ investigation, AGEO caused 82.09 and 86.32 % protection of rice against F. verticillioides contamination in inoculated and uninoculated rice samples, respectively, while AGEO-Ne exhibited 100 % protection of fumigated rice samples against F. verticillioides proliferation as well as FB₁ and FB₂ contamination. The AGEO-Ne also caused better retardation of lipid peroxidation (41.35 and 37.52 μM/g FW malondialdehyde in inoculated and uninoculated treatment) and acceptable organoleptic properties in rice samples, which strengthen its application as plant based novel preservative in food and agricultural industries.

Keywords: Antifungal; Apium graveolens essential oil; Chitosan; Ergosterol; Fumonisin; In silico docking; Nanoencapsulation; Preservation.