Modeling and Optimization of Antifungal effects of Some Essential oils against soft rot (Rhizopus stolonifer) through response surface methodology

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of concentrations (75, 150, 300, 600 and 1200μL.L-1) of Zataria multiflora (ZEO), Cinnamon zeylanicum (CEO), and Satureja khuzestanica (SEO) plants essential oil (EO) and expose time (18, 23, 28h) the inhibition of Mycelial growth of Rhizopus stolonifer fungi in vitro condition and modeling and optimizing antifungal properties of these EOs via response surface methodology (RSM). Also the chemical components of the EOs were identified. Based on the results. Also, in all EOs, the antifungal index increased with increasing the concentration, but the effect of time was different; with the time of expose, the antifungal index increased in ZEO, but decreased in the two other EOs. Furthermore, due to the results of optimization, the CEO with 120.133μL.L-1 and 301.152μL.L-1 concentrations and 24.380 and 22.802h expose time and SEO with 224.697μL.L-1 and 550.803μL.L-1 concentrations and 23h expose time, for 50 and 100% Inhibit Mycelial Growth, respectively, have the most and least effect on inhibiting mycelial growth of Rhizopus stolonifer. Also, the results of this study showed that the response surface method can be considered as a suitable and accurate method for modeling and optimizing the antifungal activity of these EOs.