R. P. Collins

Essential oil analysis of the Myricaceae of the eastern United States

Abstract The essential oil content of several members of the Myricaceae were examined for chemotaxonomic purposes. The analysis of the essential oils corroborates the suggestion that the Myricaceae should be divided into three genera. The study also suggests that Myrica pusilla and M. macfarlanei are not valid species. The analyses were carried out on the oil obtained from steam distillation of the foliage. Specific oil constituents were identified by GLC and IR.

Production of carbonyl compounds by several species of endoconidium-forming fungi.

The following organisms were used in the study: Ceratocystis moniliformis (Hedge.) C. Moreau ATCC-12861, obtained from the American type culture collection; C. coerulescens (Mivnch) Bakshi obtained from Dr. K. J. Kessler at the Lake States Forest Experiment Station; C. fimbriata (Ell. & Halst.) Davidson f. platani Walter, obtained from Dr. R. W. Davidson at the Beltsville Forest Disease Laboratory; C. variospora (Davids.) C. Moreau and Thielaviopsis basicola (Berk.) Ferr., from the University of Connecticut culture collection. All of the iso? lates were maintained on potato-dextrose agar slants. The organisms were grown in 250 ml Erlenmyer flasks containing 50 ml of potato-dextrose (5 %) broth and incubated on a rotary shaker at 250 rpm for 4 or 5 days at 25 C. The contents of these flasks then served as inocula for large flasks (2,500 ml) containing 650 ml of potato-dextrose (5%) broth. These flasks were incubated on a reciprocal shaker with a stroke length of 4 inches (88 strokes/min) for 3-4 days at 25 C. The total contents of the large flasks, generally 10 liters, were steam distilled. The carbonyl 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazone derivatives (2,4DNPH) were made by adding an excess of acidified 2,4-dinitrophenylhydrazine (0.2%, 2,4-DNP in 2N HC1). The distillate containing 2,4-DNP was allowed to stand overnight at room temperature. The

A STUDY OF FACTORS AFFECTING THE SYNTHESIS OF TERPENES BY CERATOCYSTIS VARIOSPORA

A defined basal medium for the production of essential oils by C. variospora was devised. The effect of different nitrogen sources on odor production and quality was studied. Carbohydrate and nitrogen utilization were followed and finally the production of the essential oil of C. variospora as a function of time was analyzed. Ceratocystis variospora (Davids.) C. Moreau is an ascomycete which produces a characteristic odor in culture. There is some confusion as to the validity of the species name, and Webster and Butler (1967) consider C. variospora synonymous with C. fimbriata Ell. & Halst. Ceratocystis variospora will be used to denote the organism in this report. The odorous compounds produced by C. variospora were studied by Collins and Halim (1970), and the following acyclic monoterpenes were identified: linalool, citronellyl acetate, neral, geranial, citronellol, geranyl acetate, and geraniol. Further work by Collins and Halim (1977) has shown the presence of the acyclic monoterpene nerol and the cyclic monoterpene a-terpineol. The purpose of this study was to examine some of those factors which might influence monoterpene production by this fungus as well as to follow terpene production during the growth period.

ESSENTIAL OIL COMPOSITION OF CERATOCYSTIS VIRESCENS

SUMMARY The essential oil of Ceratocystis virescens was analyzed by means of gas and thin-layer chromatography, infrared spectrometry, mass spectrometry and chemical means. The oil from C. virescens was compared for chemotaxonomic purposes with that of C. variospora. The major constituents in the oil of C. virescens were: 6-methyl-5-hepten-2-ol acetate, linalool and geranyl acetate. One cyclic terpene, a-terpineol, was isolated.

Pectolytic Enzymes Produced by Botryosphaeria Ribis and Penicillium Italicum

We are studying the production of pectin methylesterase (PME), pectin polygalacturonase (PG), and pectin depolymerase (DP) by soft rot organisms and report here pectolytic enzymes produced by Botryosphaeria ribis Gross & Dug. and Penicillium italicumt Wehmer. There have been several reports concerning the apple fruit rot caused by B. ribis (4, 6, 8). Two types of fruit rot have been reported. Fenner (2) noted lesions similar to those of bitter rot. These lesions are circular and slightly sunken and the tissue becomes mushy. The second type is a post-harvest rot characterized by the rapid breakdown of tissue; the tissues may undergo dissolution even with no external evidence of the incitant.

Esters Produced by Chalaropsis thielavioides

Chalaropsis thielavioides, a filamnentous fungus. produces a characteristic ester-like aroma on potato dextrose broth. By gas-liquid chromatographic techniques, the major aroma-producing substances have been identified as isobutyl and ethyl acetate. Lesser amounts of isoamyl acetate, ethanol, and methanol were also present.