Quantitative volatile compound profiles in fungal cultures of three different Fusarium graminearum chemotypes

Biosynthesis in fungal cultures of 27 Fusarium graminearum isolates of three different chemotypes (3AcDON, 15AcDON and NIV) grown on yeast extract sucrose agar medium was examined in this study. Volatile organic compound (VOC) analysis performed by headspace solid phase microextraction GC-MS allowed for determination of various concentrations of six alcohols, 14 aldehydes and ketones, 10 benzene derivatives, one furane, five hydrocarbons and three terpenes. In general, the determined VOC profile in fungal cultures was dominated by hexanal (up to 74%), followed by nonanal (18%) and 2-methylbutanal (18%). Principal component analysis and discriminant analysis based on VOCs allowed for unambiguous discrimination of all studied isolates into three different groups in accordance with their trichothecene production (chemotypes). Significant differences were revealed between the levels of aldehydes and ketones, benzene derivatives and hydrocarbons in fungal cultures of three F. graminearum chemotypes.