Produção de pectinases por cultivo em estado sólido do fungo Pycnoporus sanguineus em resíduos agroindustriais

Abstract

Pectinases are widely applied in the pulp, juice, and beverage industries. Pectin is a vegetable polysaccharide, which is capable of gelling and contributing to increasing the viscosity of aqueous solutions. This polysaccharide is abundant in fruits, such as apple, orange, passion fruit, grape, papaya, among others. Pectinolytic enzymes reduce the degree of polymerization of pectin, consequently favoring a reduction in viscosity and consequently contributing to industrial processes of clarification, filtration, and pumping of juices and beverages. This study aimed to evaluate different solid-state cultivation parameters for pectinase production by the filamentous fungus Pycnoporus sanguineus. The fungal species selected for this study were cultivated in different agro-industrial residues (sugarcane bagasse, wheat bran, rice husk, and corn straw). Other parameters such as initial unit, temperature, and cultivation time, which influence enzyme production, were also evaluated. The highest pectinase production (715.5 U/g) of the dry substrate was obtained in wheat bran cultures, initially containing 65% moisture and kept at 35°C for 96 hours. The enzyme extract obtained under optimized cultivation conditions showed xylanase (16.44 U/g substrate), endoglucanase (115.82 U/g substrate), and β- glucosidase (33.6 U/g substrate) activity. The significant production of pectinases and cellulases by the fungus P. sanguineus encourages the use of this microorganism and its biocatalyst roles in plant biomass conversion processes.