Study of the Effectiveness of Extracts of Black Pepper Fruits (Piper nigrum) on the Growth of Fungi Isolated from Some Food Products

The research was carried out to estimate the biological effectiveness of water and alcoholic extracts from black pepper fruits on the growth of some fungi isolated from food products (rice seeds, nuts, noodles, and spaghetti). Various fungi linked with these products were isolated, including Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus fumigatus, Aspergillus terreus, Penicillium spp, Alternaria spp, Curvularia spp, Rhizoctonia spp, and Drechslera spp. The results displayed that the type of extract meaningfully affected the levels of fungal contamination. The alcoholic extract was more effective in reducing contamination rates with a rate of 27.2%, while the rates were 38.75% and 34.0% for the cold and hot water extracts, respectively. The concentration of the extract also played a crucial role in reducing contamination rates, with a 70% concentration being the most effective, resulting in a contamination rate of 5%, while a 50% concentration was the second most effective with a contamination rate of 12.6%. The contamination rate increased to 90% in control group. Furthermore, the outcomes showed that sensitivity of the fungi varied according to the type of extract, with the alcoholic extract being more efficient in diminishing fungal contamination contrasted to water extracts (cold and hot). Among the Aspergillus niger was the most affected, with contamination rates of (25, 31.25, 22.5) % for the cold water, hot water, and alcoholic extracts respectively.