RAPID AND DIRECT MONITORING OF VOLATILE FERMENTATION PRODUCTS IN THE FUNGUS BJERKANDERA-ADUSTA BY MEMBRANE INLET TANDEM MASS-SPECTROMETRY

Membrane inlet tandem mass spectrometry has been used for the identifi cation of volatiles directly from growth media of the fungus Bjerkande ra adusta. Chloromethoxybenzaldebyde, a major fermentation product not previously described, was identified, as well as the known products p -methoxybenzaldehyde and benzaldehyde. The production of benzaldehyde was commenced shortly after incubation; p-methoxybenzaldehyde and chlo romethoxybenzaldehyde were produced after a few days. No qualitative d ifferences were found between samples grown with different amino acids added to the growth media, but tyrosine supplementation enhanced prod uction of p-methoxybenzaldehyde.