The polyol pattern of fungi as influenced by the carbohydrate nutrient source

SUMMARY Penicillium (P.) italieum (1), Endothia parasitica (2), Agaricus bispours (3), Candida albicans (4), Mucor rouxii (5), Phycomyces (ph.) blakesleeanus (6) and Zygorhynchus moelleri (7) were cultivated in liquid media differing in the carbohydrate source and their free polyol (alditol) composition was established by gas‐liquid chromatography. Total polyol on a dry weight basis ranged from 4‐19% in (1)‐(4), and from 0·2‐2% in (5)‐(7). Species (l)‐(3) contained mannitol, in addition to erythritol, arabitol, and glycerol; the last two were also present in (4)‐(7), together with ribitol. Although the relative proportion of the constituents of the polyol fraction depended on the nutrient Sugar, the pattern of polyols generally remained constant. Notably, the mannitol precursor, fructose, did not induce synthesis of the hexitol in (4)‐(7) nor ribose that of ribitol in (1)‐(3).