Luis Henrique Souza Guimarães

Corncob is an agro-residue rich in lignocellulosic material that can be used for the xylitol production, through its enzymatic conversion obtaining fermentable sugars and their subsequent fermentation. In light of the above, this study targeted the immobilization of Aspergillus labruscus xylanase and the use of the derivative to hydrolyze the corncob xylan for the obtainment of xylose, and its subsequent use for the production of xylitol. The extracellular xylanase was immobilized using different supports (sodium alginate, DEAE-Cellulose, DEAE-Sephadex and CM-Sephadex). Among all supports used, the best results were obtained with the DEAE-Cellulose derivative showing an efficiency of immobilization of 97–99%, yield of 93–95% and recovered activity of 81–100%. The sodium alginate derivative showed 3 cycles of reuse, with drop in activity of about 65% in the 3rd cycle using both CaCl₂ and MnCl₂ as crosslinkers. The best enzymatic activity for the DEAE-Cellulose derivative was observed at 55ºC and pH 5.0. This derivative presented reuse of 10 cycles using commercial xylan as substrate, and 4 cycles using corncob xylan. This derivative was used in an enzymatic reactor to hydrolyze corncob xylan, obtaining 2.7 mg/mL of xylose after 48 h of operation under optimal condition of temperature and pH. The xylose obtained from the corncob was fermented by Candida tropicalis for 96 h with consumption of 60%. The HPLC analyses indicated a production of 1.02 mg/mL of xylitol with 48 h of fermentation. In conclusion, this is the first report on the immobilization of the A. labrucus xylanase as an alternative for the obtainment of xylose from corncob xylan, and the subsequent production of xylitol.

Chitinases are biotechnologically relevant enzymes that can be applied in such different sectors as pharmaceutical, food, environmental management, the biocontrol of pests and in the paper and cellulose industry. Microorganisms as filamentous fungi are the most important source of these biomolecules. The fungus Aspergillus niveus produces extracellular chitinase when cultured under submerged fermentation using shrimp shells, a residue generated by the fish industry, as a carbon source, for 96 h at 30 °C and 100 rpm. The particle size and concentration of the shrimp shells affected enzyme production. The chitinase was purified until electrophoretic homogeneity through the use of a Sephadex G-100 chromatographic column. It is a monomeric glycoprotein with a molecular mass of 47 kDa estimated using SDS-PAGE and 49.3 kDa determined using gel filtration. The carbohydrate content was 22.8%. The best temperature and pH for enzyme activity were 65 °C and 6.0, respectively. Approximately 80% of the enzymatic activity was preserved at pH 4.0 and 5.0 for 48 h, and the half-life (t₅₀) was maintained for 48 h at 40 °C. Salts, EDTA and β-mercaptoethanol did not affect chitinase activity significantly, but organic solvents reduced it. The kinetic parameters determined using p-NPGlycNac were K_m of 2.67 mmol L⁻¹, V_max of 12.58 U mg of protein⁻¹, Kcat of 2.47 s⁻¹ and K cat/K_m of 0.93 s⁻¹ mmol L⁻¹. The A. niveus chitinase inhibited the growth of all fungal strains used, especially Trichoderma harzianum (MIC = 22.4 μg mL⁻¹) and Penicillium purpurogenum (MIC = 11.2 μg mL⁻¹). The chitinase produced by A. niveus presented interesting characteristics that indicate its potential of application in different areas.

Enzyme immobilization is an important alternative to stabilize enzyme properties favoring the efficiency of derivatives (enzyme + support/matrix) for different purposes. According to this, the current study aimed to immobilize the Aspergillus fumigatus CAS21 tannase and the use of the derivatives in the treatment of the effluent produced by the tannery industry. The tannase was immobilized on sodium alginate, DEAE-Sephadex, amberlite, and glass pearls as supports. Calcium alginate was the most adequate support for tannase immobilization with 100% yield and 94.3% for both efficiency and activity. The best tannase activity for the calcium alginate derivative was obtained at 50°C–60°C and pH 5.0. Thermal and pH stabilities evaluated for 24 h at 30°C–60°C and pH 4–7, respectively, were improved if compared to the stability of the free enzyme. Considering the reuse of the calcium alginate derivative, 78% of the initial activity was preserved after 10 catalytic cycles, and after the 9-month storage at 4°C, the activity was maintained in 70%. This derivative was applied in a packed bed reactor (PBR) for the treatment of tannin-rich effluents from the tannery industry. The reduction of the tannin content was effective reaching degradation of 74–78% after 48 h of PBR operation. The concentration of total phenolic compounds was also reduced, and the color and clarity of the effluent improved. In conclusion, the calcium alginate derivative is an attractive alternative as biocatalyst for large-scale treatment of the effluents from the tannery industry.

The morphology and growth of the filamentous fungi are influenced by different factors as the culture conditions and the type of fermentative process. The production and secretion of metabolites by these organisms present a direct relationship with their morphology. The organization of the microtubules and actin in the cytoskeleton is determinant for both the fungal growth and morphology. In this context, this study aimed to analyze the expression of the β-tubulin, F-actin, and glucan synthase in the A. niger mycelia obtained from submerged fermentation and biofilm fermentation through qPCR, as well as the analysis of the nucleus distribution in the hypha. Herein, we showed that β-tubulin and the F-actin gene were more expressed in the biofilm condition, while the glucan synthase was in the submerged condition. No significant difference was observed in the nucleus distribution between the mycelia obtained from both the fermentative processes. In conclusion, the different morphologies observed for the mycelia from submerged fermentation and biofilm fermentation might be influenced by the differential modulation of genes that codify cytoskeleton proteins, which seems to be potentially regulated by mechanosensing during fungal contact with solid supports.

Aims Optimization of β‐galactosidase production by Trichoderma sp. under solid‐state fermentation using wheat bran as solid substrate through an experimental design and its application targeting the recovery of galactooligosaccharides from whey cheese. Methods and Results The β‐galactosidase production by Trichoderma sp. increased 2.3‐fold (2.67 U per g of substrate) culturing the fungus at 30ºC for 187 h, at an inoculum of 10⁵ spores mL^‐1, and a 1:1.65 (w/v) ratio of wheat bran to tap water. The best enzyme activity was obtained at 55 °C and pH 4.5. The catalytic activity was maintained for up to 180 min incubating at 35‐45°C, and above 50% at acidic or alkaline pH for up to 24 h. It also presented resistance to chemical compounds. β‐galactosidase catalyzed the hydrolysis of the lactose and the transgalactosylation reaction leading to the production of galactooligosaccharides. Conclusion Trichoderma sp. produced β‐galactosidase with transgalactosylation activity that may be used to recover galactooligosaccharides, products with high added value, from whey cheese. Significance and Impact of the Study β‐galactosidases are used in different industrial sectors. Therefore, the Trichoderma β‐galactosidase is a promising alternative for the production of GOS as prebiotic from the dairy effluents, contributing to the reduction of the environmental impact.

The Aspergillus fumigatus CAS21 tannase was spray dried with β-cyclodextrin, Capsul^® starch, soybean meal, lactose, and maltodextrin as adjuvants. The moisture content and water activity of the products ranged from 5.6 to 11.5% and from 0.249 to 0.448, respectively. The maximal tannase activity was achieved at 40–60 ºC and pH 5.0–6.0 for the powders containing β-cyclodextrin and Capsul^® starch, which was stable at 40 ºC and 40–60 ºC for 120 min, respectively. For all the dried products, tannase retained its activity of over 80% for 120 min at pH 5.0 and 6.0. Salts and solvents influenced the activity of the spray-dried tannase. The activity of the spray-dried tannase was maintained when preserved for 1 year at 4 ºC and 28 ºC. Spray-dried tannase reduced the content of tannins and polyphenolic compounds of leather effluent and sorghum flour and catalyzed the transesterification reaction. The spray drying process stabilized the tannase activity, highlighting the potential of dried products for biotechnological applications.

Pigments produced by submerged fermentation of three filamentous fungi isolated from Brazilian caves, namely Aspergillus keveii, Penicillium flavigenum, and Epicoccum nigrum, were submitted to spray drying in presence of the adjuvants maltodextrin, modified starch or gum arabic. Yellow fine powders with low moisture content and water activity, and high color retention (> 70%) were successfully generated with a high product recovery ratio (> 50%), independently of the adjuvant used. The dried products have enhanced stability and potential to might be used as a natural colorant in food and pharmaceutical applications.

Aspergillus ochraceus biofilm, developed on an inert support, can produce tannase in Khanna medium containing 1.5% (w/v) tannic acid as the carbon source, at an initial pH of 5.0, for 72 h at 28 degrees C. Addition of 0.1% (w/v) yeast extract increased enzyme production. The enzyme in the crude filtrate exhibited the highest activity at 30 degrees C and pH 6.0. At 50 degrees C, the half-life was 60 min and 260 min at pH 6.0. In general, addition of detergents and surfactants did not affect tannase activity significantly. Tannase has potential applications in various biotechnological processes such as the production of propyl gallate and in the treatment of tannin-rich effluents. The content of tannins and total phenolic compounds in effluents from leather treatment was reduced by 56-83% and 47-64%, respectively, after 2 h of enzyme treatment. The content of tannins and total phenolic compounds in the sorghum flour treated for 120 h with tannase were reduced by 61% and 17%, respectively. Interestingly, the same A. ochraceus biofilm was able to produce tannase for three sequential fermentative process. In conclusion, fungal biofilm is an interesting alternative to produce high levels of tannase with biotechnological potential to be applied in different industrial sectors.

Background: L-asparaginase, produced mainly by microrganisms, cleaves L-asparagine to aspartic acid and ammonia as products. This enzyme has been applied in the treatment of the leukemia and in food preparation preventing the acrylamide formation.Methods: Aspergillus niveus was grown in different solid substrates (agroindustrial byproducts) moistened with different agents (tap water, distilled water and several salt solutions) for different periods (24-240 h) at 30ºC. The enzyme extract was obtained with the addition of cold distilled water, agitation at 50 rpm for 30 min and filtration. The filtrate was used to determine the L-asparaginase activity through the hydroximate aspartic methodology using L-asparagine as substrate. The influence of temperature (30-75ºC), pH (3-9) and chemical compounds on the enzyme activity was analyzed. Results: The highest level of enzyme production was obtained using the M1 mixture (wheat bran, crushed soybean, orange peel; 1:1:1, w/w/w) as substrate humidified with Czapeck Dox salt solution (1:0.5, m/v) for 48-120 h, at 30ºC. The best temperature and pH for the enzyme activity were 35ºC and 5.0, respectively. The enzyme activity was increased in the presence of NaCl and some organic solvents (acetonitrile, butanol ethanol, isopropanol and methanol).Conclusions: A. niveus produced L-asparaginase under SSF using a mixture of agroindustrial byproducts as solid substrate in the absence of L-asparagine as inducer. The temperature and pH of activity, as well as the NaCl tolerance, indicate its potential to be applied for different purposes. A. niveus can be an interesting source of L-asparaginase gene to be investigated targeting future application.