Synergistic and Broad-Spectrum Efficacy of Phenylacetate and Acetophenone Combination Against Mycotoxin-Producing Fungi

Mycotoxin contamination of food may lead to cancer and is caused by fungal pathogens. In this study, we discovered that two natural products, phenylacetate and acetophenone, inhibit the growth of mycotoxin-producing fungi of agricultural importance. Using disc diffusion assays, we observed that both chemicals demonstrated antifungal activity against mycotoxin-producing Aspergillus flavus. The efficacies of acetophenone and phenylacetate synergized against A. flavus and four additional mycotoxin-producing fungi such as A. parasiticus, Penicillium expansum, Fusarium oxysporum, and F. verticillioides. Using growth kinetic assay, we observed that phenylacetate and acetophenone inhibited growth rates of human fungal pathogens, Candida albicans and C. auris. High-performance liquid chromatography analysis of aflatoxins extracted from A. flavus demonstrated that acetophenone treatment inhibited the production of aflatoxins, while phenylacetate did not have such an effect. This study identifies the phenylacetate–acetophenone combination as a potential antifungal for the mycotoxin-producing fungal treatment of food.