Rice is exposed in the field and in stored conditions to a great variety of fungi that can cause a lot of
diseases with potential risk to consumers. In the present study, the chemical composition of commercial
Laurus nobilis L. and Syzygium aromaticum L. Merr. & Perry essential oils and antifungal activity against
five pathogenic fungi isolated from Mediterranean rice grains has been investigated. Thirty-seven
compounds accounting for more than 99.5% of the total essential oil were identified by GC and GC/
MS. 1,8-Cineole (51.95%), a-terpinyl acetate (12.93%) and the monoterpene hydrocarbon sabinene (9.56%)
were the main compounds in bay leaf essential oil, while the phenylpropanoid eugenol (88.58%), and the
sesquiterpene hydrocarbons b-caryophyllene (8.13%) and a-humulene (2.35%) were found in clove
essential oil. Clove essential oils at 300 mg/mL showed more antifungal effect than bay leaf essential oil
against all tested strains. S. aromaticum essential oil showed the best antifungal activity towards Fusarium
graminearum and similar antifungal activity compared to pure eugenol against all tested phytopathogenic
fungi. In inoculated rice grain, clove essential oil significantly reduced the fungal infection in
food so S. aromaticum essential oil could be a good alternative as preservative in stored rice grain