Pyrolysis-gas-liquid chromatography of fungi: differentiation of species and strains of several members of the Aspergillus flavus group

Four fungi of the Aspergillus flavus group were differentiated to the species level and strain level by pyrolysis-gas-liquid chromotography. Comparisons of pyrochromatograms revealed more similarities than dissimilarities among both species and strains in the pyrolytic elution patterns. Quantitative analysis was made by comparing the number of peaks in which two strains or reference species agreed or disagreed, the degree of superimposability between the pyrolytic elution patterns of strains and reference species, and the presence or absence of peaks for strain pairs within each species. The accuracy and precision of these techniques suggest that pyrolysis-gas-liquid chromatography may have wide application in the detection, enumeration, and identification of fungi by nonmycologically trained personnel.