This Article Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Reprints and Permissions Copyright Information Books from ASM Press MicrobeWorld Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Kaminski, E. Articles by Wasowicz, E. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Kaminski, E. Articles by Wasowicz, E. Agricola Articles by Kaminski, E. Articles by Wasowicz, E.

 Previous Article  |  Next Article 

Appl Environ Microbiol. 1972 November; 24(5): 721-726
Copyright © 1972 American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.

Identification of the Predominant Volatile Compounds Produced by Aspergillus flavus

E. Kaminki, L. M. Libbey¹, S. Stawicki and E. Wasowicz

^a Agricultural University, Department of Food Technology, Biochemistry and Microbiology, Pozna, Poland

ABSTRACT

A culture of Aspergillus flavus grown on moistened wheat meal was homogenized with a blendor, and the resulting slurry was vacuum-distilled at 5 mm of Hg and 35 C. The aqueous distillate was collected in traps cooled to -10 to -80 C. The culture volatiles were extracted from the distillate with CH₂Cl₂, and, after removal of the bulk of the solvent, the concentrated volatiles were examined by packed-column gas chromatography. Nineteen peaks were observed, and coupled gas chromatography-mass spectrometry was employed to identify the larger components. The compounds identified were: 3-methyl-butanol, 3-octanone, 3-octanol, 1-octen-3-ol, 1-octanol, and cis-2-octen-1-ol. The two octenols were the predominant compounds, and sufficient sample was trapped from the gas chromatograph for infrared analyses; this confirmed the mass spectral identifications and permitted the assignment of the cis designation to 2-octen-1-ol. Both oct-1-en-3-ol and cis-2-octen-1-ol are thought to be responsible for the characteristic musty-fungal odor of certain fungi; the latter compound may be a useful chemical index of fungal growth.

¹ Department of Food Science and Technology, Oregon State University, Corvallis, Ore. 97331.