Effect of Carbon Sources on the Production of Volatile Organic Compounds by Fusarium verticillioides.

Fernanda Achimón,Vanessa D Brito,Romina P Pizzolitto,Julio A Zygadlo

doi:10.3390/jof8020158

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of different carbon sources on the hydrocarbon-like volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of Fusarium verticillioides strain 7600 through a Principal Component Analysis approach, and to explore their diesel potential by using data from the literature. The fungus was cultivated in GYAM culture medium, and five carbon sources were evaluated: glucose, sucrose, xylose, lactose, and fructose. The VOCs were collected using a close-loop apparatus and identified through GC-MS. The same profile of 81 VOCs was detected with all treatments, but with different relative percentages among carbon sources. The production of branched-chain alkanes (30 compounds) ranged from 25.80% to 38.64%, straight-chain alkanes (12 compounds) from 22.04% to 24.18%, benzene derivatives (12 compounds) from 7.48% to 35.58%, and the biosynthesis of branched-chain alcohols (11 compounds) was from 6.82% to 16.71%, with lower values for the remaining groups of VOCs. Our results show that F. verticillioides has the metabolic potential to synthesize diesel-like VOCs. Further research should include the optimization of culture conditions other than carbon sources to increase the production of certain groups of VOCs.

Highlights

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are carbon-based compounds of low molecular mass that enter the gas phase at normal temperatures and pressure
The fungal biomass was significantly higher in cultures supplemented with sucrose (6.81 ± 0.13 mg dry weight (DW)/mL), glucose (6.35 ± 0.13 mg DW/mL), and fructose (5.98 ± 0.48 mg DW/mL)
Regardless of the number of compounds identified within each group, the total percentage of VOCs was similar among different groups of VOCs and carbon sources

Summary

Introduction

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are carbon-based compounds of low molecular mass that enter the gas phase at normal temperatures and pressure. Several biotechnological applications have been reported for fungal VOCs, such as biocontrol agents, food additives, perfumery, and biofuels [3,4,5]. In this context, VOCs have certain properties that are consistent with those of good diesel fuels, such as relatively low molecular weight, high cetane number, and high energy content [6]. Filamentous fungi offer many advantages that make them suitable organisms for VOC production They grow fast and have short life cycles, they are not influenced by external factors (such as climate or soil conditions), they are amenable to genetic improvements, and they can be scaled up from laboratory to bioreactor level to achieve mass production [12]. Despite the immense biotechnological potential of fungal VOCs [5], the optimization of their production by using different carbon sources has barely been addressed in the literature

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