MASS SPECTROMETRIC STUDIES OF THE COMPOSITION OF VOLATILE ORGANIC COMPOUNDS RELEASED BY VARIOUS FUNGAL SPECIES OF GENUS LECANICILLIUM

For the first time, the quantitative and qualitative composition of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), released by strains of various species of entomopathogenic fungi (EF) of the genus Lecanicillium, was studied using a quadrupole mass spectrometer. Lecanicillium fungi are used as an alternative to chemical pesticides for plant protection. The main detected components of the gas phase over the EF mycelium on the 10th day of growing on the agar Czapek's medium were carbon dioxide (5–20%), oxygen (0.1–15%), acetone (0.2–12 ppm), pentane (up to 0.5 ppm), acetic acid (up to 0.15 ppm). Acetone and pentane were found in the VOCs of all studied strains, acetic acid — in 5 strains belonging to different species, in other strains it appeared after a longer period of time, or was absent completely. Among the VOCs of some strains, substances such as hexyl acetate, sulfur dioxide were found in small quantities. These substances may be responsible for the pathogenic and repellent properties of the studied fungi with respect to phytophages.