An Aroma Odyssey: The Promise of Volatile Fungal Metabolites in Biotechnology

Abstract

All aroma compounds are volatile molecules. This review focuses on aroma and other volatile compounds made by fungi and gives brief highlights of what is known about their current and potential biotechnological applications. The chapter is divided into five sections: introduction and circumscription, biofuels, fumigation, plant growth promotion, and a brief summary. The biofuels section reviews the ability of certain fungi to biosynthesize hydrocarbons for biodiesel or secrete enzymes for bioethanol. The fumigation section covers the applications of fungal volatile organic compounds as antimicrobial agents. The section on plant growth promotion outlines how some fungal volatiles can enhance plant growth, including growth under conditions of abiotic stress. The full exploitation and commercialization of the multifaceted potential of volatile fungal metabolites constitute grand challenges in biotechnology.