Antifungal activities of thiosemicarbazones and semicarbazones against mycotoxigenic fungi

Abstract

Mycotoxigenic fungi can compromise the quality of food, exposing human and animal health at risk. The antifungal activity of eight thiosemicarbazones (1-8) and nine semicarbazones (9-17) was evaluated against Aspergillus flavus, A. nomius, A. ochraceus, A. parasiticus and Fusarium verticillioides. Thiosemicarbazones had MIC values of 125-500 µg/ml. The thiosemicarbazones 1 and 2 exerted fungistatic activity against Aspergillus spp., and thiosemicarbazone 2 exerted fungicidal activity against F. verticillioides. Compound 2 showed an iron chelating effect of 63%. The ergosterol content of A. parasiticus had a decrease of 28 and 71% for the 31.2 and 62.5 µg/ml concentrations of thiosemicarbazone 2 compared to the control. The obtained results of antifungal activity revealed that thiosemicarbazone class was more active when compared to semicarbazone class and, the thiosemicarbazone 2 was the most active compound, specially, against Aspergillus spp.