LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHIC-THERMOSPRAY MASS-SPECTROMETRIC ANALYSIS OF SESQUITERPENES OF ARMILLARIA (EUMYCOTA, BASIDIOMYCOTINA) SPECIES

Conventional HPLC analysis of the sesquiterpene aryl esters present in the crude extracts of the pathogenic basidiomycete Armillaria is comp licated by difficulties in identification solely on the basis of reten tion time. On-line coupling of liquid chromatography with thermospray mass spectrometry (LC-TSP-MS) provides a means for their direct detect ion. Crude extracts of seven Armillaria species were analysed providin g a semi-quantitative survey of sesquiterpene aryl ester production wi thin the genus. The distribution of these metabolites and its signific ance with regard to species differentiation and pathogenicity are disc ussed. Unknown components were also detected by on-line LC-TSP-MS scre ening of extracts, facilitating a targeted isolation route.