Volatile metabolites associated with one aflatoxigenic and one nontoxigenic Aspergillus flavus strain grown on two different substrates

Aflatoxigenic and non-toxigenic Aspergillus flavus strains were grown on corn and on peanut substrates. Microbial volatile organic compounds (MVOCS) were collected by trapping headspace volatiles using thermal desorption tubes (TDT) packed with Tenax® TA and Carbotrap™ B. Samples were collected at various fungal growth stages. Trapped compounds were thermally desorbed from the adsorbent tubes, separated by gas chromatography, and identified by mass spectrometry. The fungal stage did not have many differences in the MVOCs but the concentrations of some volatiles changed over time depending on the substrate. Volatiles that were associated with both the aflatoxigenic A. flavus strain and the nontoxigenic strain on both substrates included: ethanol, 1-propanol, butanal, 2-methyl-1-propanol, 3-methylfuran, ethyl acetate, 1-butanol, 3-methylbutanal, 3-methyl-1-butanol, propanoic acid-2-methyl-ethyl-ester, 2-methyl-1-butanol, 1-pentanol, 2-pentanol, 3-methyl-3-buten-1-ol, benzaldehyde, 3-octanone, 2-ethyl-1-hexanol and octane. Volatiles that were associated only with the aflatoxigenic A. flavus strain included: dimethyl disulfide and nonanal. Volatiles that were associated only with the nontoxigenic A. fl avus strain included: hexanal, 1-hexanol, 1-octene-3-ol, 1-octen-3-one and 2-pentyl furan.