Fungal volatile organic compounds: A review with emphasis on their biotechnological potential

Fungi produce various mixtures of gas-phase, carbon-based compounds called volatile organic compounds (VOCs) that due to their small size are able to diffuse through the atmosphere and soils. Despite some methodological and technological constraints, researchers have detected and characterized approximately 250 fungal VOCs, many of which have characteristic odors and are produced during primary and secondary metabolism. Fungal VOCs may...