A handful of crushed neem leaves, lemongrass, garlic and chili pepper — a blend farmers in West Africa have trusted for generations — turns out to be a surprisingly powerful weapon against a silent enemy that ruins harvests. Scientists at Penn State proved that this traditional plant mixture, called BioCC+, can stop two species of fungus from growing in stored corn. The finding, published in the journal Access Microbiology, shows that wisdom passed down through families can hold up under modern laboratory tests.
The problem is enormous. The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations reports that fungal contamination in stored grain across sub-Saharan Africa causes billions of dollars in losses every year. Warm, humid weather and simple storage sheds let mold spread and release toxins that sicken people and livestock. As global temperatures climb, researchers worry the threat will only grow worse.
Josephine Wee, associate professor of food science at Penn State, wanted to know whether the traditional remedy actually worked and whether combining plants made it stronger. "We wanted to see if those plants actually worked and if a combination would be more effective," she said. Across sub-Saharan Africa, many smallholder farmers grow and store small lots of grain, then hand it off to be stored again before it reaches a processing facility. Mold can spoil that entire journey, cutting farmer income and shrinking the community's food supply.
The team developed BioCC+ in Côte d'Ivoire (Ivory Coast), using only edible plants that farmers and their ancestors used to protect grain. Study co-first author Elisee Kouassi Kporou, a researcher at Université Jean Lorougnon Guédé, brought it to Penn State as a Fulbright scholar to be tested scientifically.
The researchers tested BioCC+ extracts against two common fungal species, Fusarium graminearum and Fusarium verticillioides. They tried three different extraction liquids and found that dichloromethane — a clear liquid that dissolves many organic compounds — produced the most powerful antifungal preparation. Just 12.5 milligrams of extract per milliliter stopped Fusarium graminearum, while 25 milligrams per milliliter handled the other species. In all, the team identified six possible active compounds, including four never before characterized.
"This collaboration allowed us to scientifically evaluate and better understand its potential," Kporou said. "Our findings show how combining traditional knowledge with modern analytical and microbiological approaches can contribute to developing affordable, locally produced solutions."
The promise is practical and hopeful: BioCC+ is made from plants that are cheap and available in the very communities that need them. Instead of relying on costly imported chemicals, farmers could one day protect their harvest with ingredients already growing nearby. The research continues, with scientists working to understand which compounds do the heavy lifting. But for now, a time-honored recipe has earned its place in the lab — and a measure of respect for the farmers who never doubted it.