Utilization of Cyclodextrins by Trichoderma Species

Abstract

The growth and the development of thallus of 17 Trichoderma species have been determined by using native � -, � - and � -cyclodextrins (CDs) and 8 different CD derivatives as a unique carbon source. The majority of species can use CD for growth, this ability was related to their intragenic taxonomic position in order of sections Trichoderma > Longibrachiatum > Pachybasium > Saturnisporum T. reesei being the most and T. virens the least active. All CDs have been utilized but their nutritional value was significantly influenced by the chemical structure, the size of molecules had major importance than the flexibility of their rings. Among natural derivatives of CDs Trichodermas preferred the � - and � -CD prior to � -CD, when carboxylation led to reduction of the biodegradation of � - and � -CDs and enhanced that of � - CD. Methylation or polymerization of � -CD also modified its decomposition rate by considered Trichoderma species. As supported by applied a three-way principal components analysis (3D-PCA) the studied here Trichoderma species showed considerable deviations in their capacity to decompose CDs and the stability of CDs towards biodegradation was highly dependent on the chemical structure of CDs.