Production of 6-pentyl-alpha-pyrone by Trichoderma sp. from vegetable oils

A total of 108 strains of Trichoderma sp. were compared for their ability to produce 6-pentyl-alpha-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 (alpha-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. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science B.V.