title: Production of volatile organic sulfur compounds (VOSCs) by basidiomycetous yeasts.
abstract: Thirty-seven basidiomycetous yeasts belonging to 30 species of seven genera were grown on media containing l-cysteine or l-methionine as sole nitrogen sources with the objective of evaluating volatile organic sulfur compound (VOSC) production. The headspace of yeast cultures was analyzed by the solid-phase microextraction (SPME) sampling method, and volatile compounds were quantified and identified by GC-MS techniques. Ten strains assimilating L-methionine produced the following VOSCs: 3-(methylthio)-1-propanol, methanethiol, S-methyl thioacetate, dimethyl disulfide, dimethyl trisulfide, allyl methyl sulphide and 4,5-dihydro-3(2H)-thiophenone. Production was <1 mgl(-1) except for 3-(methylthio)-1-propanol of which between 40 and 400 mgl(-1) was synthesized. Higher alcohols (isobutyl alcohol, isoamyl alcohol and active amyl alcohol) and esters (ethyl acetate, ethyl propionate, n-propyl acetate, isobutyl acetate, n-propyl propionate, n-butyl acetate, isoamyl acetate, amyl acetate, isoamyl propionate, amyl propionate and 2-phenylmethyl acetate) were also sporadically produced. This is the first report of VOSCs production by basidiomycetous yeasts. Consequently, basidiomycetous yeasts may be considered an interesting new group of microbial VOSCs producers for the flavor industry.
authors.affiliation: Dipartimento di Biologia Vegetale e Biotecnologie Agroambientali, Sezione di Microbiologia Applicata, Università di Perugia, Borgo XX Giugno 74, 06121 Perugia, Italy. pbuzzini@unipg.it
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Buzzini
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Romano
authors.forename: Benedetta
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Turchetti
authors.forename: Ann
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Vaughan
authors.forename: Ugo Maria
authors.initials: UM
authors.lastname: Pagnoni
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Davoli
mesh_terms: D001487:Basidiomycota / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000378:metabolism*; D003470:Culture Media; D003545:Cysteine / Q000378:metabolism; D005421:Flavoring Agents; D008715:Methionine / Q000378:metabolism; D009930:Organic Chemicals / Q000378:metabolism*; D013455:Sulfur / Q000378:metabolism*; D014835:Volatilization
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D005421:Flavoring Agents; D009930:Organic Chemicals; D013455:Sulfur; D008715:Methionine; D003545:Cysteine