Fabrication, Characterization, and Antifungal Assessment of Oregano Essential Oil-Loaded Nano-silica Against Curvularia lunata in Brown Rot of Agaricus bisporus Storage

In this study, we developed oregano essential oil-mesoporous nano-silica (OEO-MSNPs), a new and safe eco-friendly antifungal system. MSNPs showed ordered mesoporous structures by TEM, which can provide space for loading OEO. The FTIR characterization of MSNPs and OEO-MSNPs showed that OEO was successfully embedded into the MSNPs. The loading rate of OEO-MSNPs to OEO reached about 60%, and OEO-MSNPs had better antifungal activity against the mold ( Curvularia lunata MF380802.1) found in postharvest decayed Agaricus bisporus . The antifungal effects of OEO-MSNPs against Curvularia lunata MF380802.1 ( C. lunata ) were investigated. Then, our results showed that the antifungal effect of OEO-MSNPs had a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and a minimum fungicidal concentration (MFC) at 0.20 mg/mL and 0.40 mg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, the integrity of cell membranes and nuclear membranes of C. lunata was destroyed during the interaction with OEO-MSNPs, resulting in the exudation of nucleic acids, proteins, and other substances in vitro. This work provides a theoretical basis for the development of effective treatments to address the infection of C. lunata during the storage and preservation of Agaricus bisporus . This newly developed method for encapsulating EOs in MSNPs has potential application in the design of effective antimicrobial materials.