Production of 6-pentyl-α-pyrone by Trichoderma sp. from vegetable oils
Abstract A total of 108 strains of Trichoderma sp. were compared for their ability to produce 6-pentyl-α-pyrone (6PP), a coconut-like aroma. Among them, one strain, Trichoderma viride TSP2, demonstrated a good ability to produce 6PP from several commercial vegetable oils including castor oil (C18:1, OH n-7=89.3%), hazelnut oil (C18:1=78.6%), grapeseed oil (C18:2=66%) and linseed oil (α-C18:3=46.6%). By increasing the oil concentration from 5 to 20%, 1.2 g l−1 of 6PP was achieved after 6 days of cultivation. In comparison, 80 mg l−1 of 6PP were produced when glucose (30 g l−1) was used as the carbon source.