Flavor production from edible oils and their constituents by Penicillium corylophilum.
Production of volatile substances from edible oils and their constituents by Penicillium corylophilum was studied to clarify the mechanism of flavor production from a non-stick oil by the organism in a rice cake system. First, edible oils from plant and animal origins were tested for flavor production. Among the oils tested, coconut oil was the only one from which the flavor was produced. Second, triacylglycerols consisting of fatty acids with various lengths of carbon chain (C6 to C13) were studied for flavor production. Among the triacylglycerols tested, flavors were produced from those consisting of fatty acids with carbon chains of C6 to C11. The flavors consisted of methylketones and secondary alcohols, whose carbon chains were one carbon shorter than the precursor fatty acid molecules of the triacylglycerols. Flavors similar to that from the non-stick oil were produced from tricaprylin (C8), trinonanoin (C9), and tridecanoin (C10) among the triacylglycerols tested. Formation of mould spores was more strongly suppressed by triacylglycerols with shorter chain fatty acids. Third, fatty acids with various lengths of carbon chain (C7 to C15) were studied for flavor production. Among the fatty acids tested, flavors were produced from decanoic (C10) and undecanoic (C11) acids only. The flavors also consisted of methylketones and secondary alcohols one carbon shorter than the precursor fatty acids. Fatty acids with short carbon chains (C7 to C9) completely inhibited the mould growth. Our study showed that the range of carbon chain length of fatty acids capable of the flavor production (C10 to C11) was narrower than that of triacylglycerols (C6 to C11). It was also found that the non-stick oil and coconut oil contain tricaprylin and tridecanoin as triacylglycerols and decanoic acid as fatty acid.