Mycotoxins Have a Scent: Volatile Biomarkers for Fungal Detection and Control.

Mycotoxins contaminate 25% of the world’s food supply [1], posing serious food safety risks. These secondary metabolites include toxic compounds such as aflatoxins and fumonisins, produced by fungi like Aspergillus flavus and Fusarium verticillioides, respectively. Conventional detection methods rely on destructive sampling (ELISA, HPLC), requiring prior extraction and analysis. However, fungal volatile organic compounds (VOCs) have emerged as promising non-invasive biomarkers for fungal contamination and mycotoxin production.
This study explores the potential of VOCs as reliable indicators of fungal activity, revealing species-specific profiles linked to metabolic pathways [2]. Using solid-phase microextraction (SPME) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), we identified key markers: A. flavus contamination correlated with epizonaren, F. verticillioides with 4-epi-α-acoradiene, while mycotoxin production linked to germacrene D (aflatoxins) and β-acorenol (fumonisins) [3][4].
Beyond detection, VOCs play roles in fungal communication and self-regulation, offering new biocontrol strategies. Certain microbial VOCs inhibited fumonisin production in F. verticillioides, with genetic analysis shedding light on their regulatory impact. Optimizing VOC sampling under varying culture conditions (substrate type, temperature, and co-culture) enhances their application in mycotoxin risk assessment and food safety monitoring.
This study highlights the dual role of VOCs as both biomarkers and potential biocontrol agents, paving the way for innovative approaches to food contamination prevention.

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2. Werner, S.; Polle, A.; Brinkmann, N. Belowground Communication: Impacts of Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) from Soil Fungi on Other Soil-Inhabiting Organisms. Appl. Microbiol. Biotechnol. 2016, 100, 8651–8665, doi:10.1007/s00253-016-7792-1.
3. Josselin, L.; De Clerck, C.; De Boevre, M.; Moretti, A.; Haïssam Jijakli, M.; Soyeurt, H.; Fauconnier, M.L. Volatile Organic Compounds Emitted by Aspergillus Flavus Strains Producing or Not Aflatoxin B1. Toxins (Basel). 2021, 13, doi:10.3390/toxins13100705.
4. Josselin, L.; Proctor, R.H.; Lippolis, V.; Cervellieri, S.; Hoylaerts, J.; De Clerck, C.; Fauconnier, M.L.; Moretti, A. Does Alteration of Fumonisin Production in Fusarium Verticillioides Lead to Volatolome Variation? Food Chem. 2023, 438, 138004, doi:10.1016/j.foodchem.2023.138004.