ISSN 2712-0554 Heritage and Sustainable Development Original Research Vol. 4, No. 2, December 2022, pp.174-184 https://doi.org/10.37868/hsd.v4i2.92 This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/) that allows others to share and adapt the material for any purpose (even commercially), in any medium with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal. 174 Molecular identification and profiling of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) of Porostereum sp. HGBS16 and Neurospora sp. PAMS29: Chambal ravine soil fungal isolates Swati Chitranshi 1 *, Braj Kishor Upadhyay 2 , Akanksha Gupta 3 1 School of Allied Health Sciences, MVN University, Palwal, Haryana-121102, India 2 School of studies, Jiwaji University, Gwalior, MP-474001, India 3 School of Life Sciences, ITM University, Gwalior, MP-474001, India *Corresponding author E-mail: swatichitranshi17@gmail.com Received May. 2, 2022 Revised Oct. 22, 2022 Accepted Dec. 30, 2022 Abstract The study is aimed at the molecular identification of ravine soil fungal isolates and their volatile organic compounds (VOCs) profiling. Chambal ravines of Morena, located at latitude 26⁰5ʹN and longitude 78⁰0ʹ E at an elevation of 177 meters. Ravine soil is marked for depleted nutrients. The isolates were identified by macroscopic and microscopic examinations followed by molecular identification the extracted fungal DNA was amplified for specific internal transcribed spacer primer (ITS1/ITS4). The products were sequenced and deposited in GenBank (NCBI), sequence similarity was checked and a phylogram was constructed. The isolates were identified and named Porostereum sp. HGBS16 and Neurospora sp. PAMS29. The VOCs/bioactive molecules were allowed to produce under static submerged fermentation. VOCs/bioactive molecules extracted with polar solvent and characterized by GCMS analysis. Besides playing an active role in communication, the obtained VOCs have other useful attributes of industrial and other beneficial uses. The prevailing compounds produced by Neurospora sp. PAMS29 is octasiloxane (50.32%) followed by the production of octadecane (42.67%) and cyclopentasiloxane (7.01%) whereas Porostereum sp. HGB16 displayed bicyclo (2.2.1) heptane-2-one (86.09%), followed by dodecane (6.09%) and tetradecane (4.05%). The VOC octadecane is reported as a pheromone, a chemical messenger which is useful for mating in fungi. The Presence of octadecane confirms that Neurospora sp. PAMS29 used Pheromones as the mating messenger. Both fungal extracts showed the presence of vitamin C under screening test and exhibited good DPPH free radical scavenging activity with 76.74±7.81 inhibition by Porostereum sp. HGB16 whereas Neurospora sp. PAMS29 showed 82.1±6.47 percent inhibition activity. Results showed that the VOCs produced by fungal isolates have the potential for industrial uses and can be used in body care products in place of synthetic polysiloxanes, though the D5 is already reported to be used in cosmetics. This study introduces new fungal strains and their VOCs to the microbial research domain. Simultaneously the isolates are producing vitamin C and also exhibited the DPPH free radical scavenging activities. Both isolates are aromatic therefore it can be used in the perfume industry. Concluding, this is the