Antioxidant and antifungal activities of a new chemovar of cumin (Cuminum cyminum L.).

Chemical composition, antifungal and antioxidant properties of essential oil extracted from Cuminum cyminum from Iran was studied. GC-MS analysis revealed the presence of 18 components, with 3-caren-10-al and cuminal as the principal constituents. Hierarchical cluster analysis and antioxidant capacities showed that this essential oil made a single group at 64 unit distinct from other reported essential oils extracted from cumin in the literature and was with high antioxidant activity [150 µL exhibiting strong reducing power; 2200 (FRAP) μmol/L Fe⁺² during 15 min and ~ 89 DPPH % at 60 min]. The antifungal effects of the essential oil against three postharvest fungal pathogens, Botrytis cinerea, Aspergillus niger and Penicillim expansum revealed that at concentrations of ≥ 750 µL/L, the mycelial growth of the tested fungi were completely inhibited. Overall, the essential oil derived from this new cumin chemovar could be a promising candidate for its utilization as a natural preservative.