Inhibiting mycotoxin-producing fungi using active fractions of Forsskaolea tenacissima and Juniperus communis: An in vitro and in silico assessment

The antifungal activity and phytochemical constituents of aerial parts of Juniperus communis L., and Forsskaolea tenacissima L. were investigated relative to the growth and the excretion of fungal toxins for Aspergillus fumigatus, A. flavus, Fusarium oxysporum, and F. verticilliodes. The phytochemical screening of aquamethanolic extracts was determined via GC-MS. The extract of J. communis had thirty- eight molecules, whereas the fractionation of F. tenacissima showed twenty-nine molecules. The extract of F. tenacissima had the highest antifungal impact towards tested fungi and played a primary role in the control of mycotoxins synthesis by the tested fungi. There were dramatic differences between the inhibiting roles of both extracts. F. tenacissima was favored, having the highest effect in reducing aflatoxins, o-methyl sterigmatocystin, fugilin, macrofusine, and 1-hydroxycyclobut-1-ene-3,4-dione by 22.6, 41.5, 37.2, 32.2, 26.6, and 25.3%, compared to 20.5, 35.3, 30.8, 23.5, 23.8, and 17.1% for treatment by J. communis extract. The maximum affinity of -10.6 was found for the 5ICC_A piperlonguminine at site 1 (X, Y, Z: -15.282, 21.785, 5.672). Compounds such as mycotoxins were found to have binding features to protein residues of Omt-A, as shown by computational interaction at the molecular level.