Caracterização de pectinase obtida por cultivo em estado sólido do fungo Thermoascus aurantiacus em farelo de trigo e bagaço de cana-de-açúcar

Abstract

Pectinases are essential biocatalysts for the food and beverage industry, acting to reduce the turbidity and viscosity of fruit juices, wines and pulps, improving filtration and the physical characteristics of these products. However, the high cost of producing these enzymes limits their application on a large scale. In this context, this study aims to characterize the pectinases produced by solid-state cultivation of the filamentous fungus Thermoascus aurantiacus, using agro-industrial waste such as wheat bran and sugar cane bagasse as substrates. The highest production of pectinase by T. aurantiacus was obtained in 72 hours of cultivation with 168.39 U/g. The enzyme showed greater catalytic activity at pH 3.5 and a temperature of 60°C. The pectinases produced were stable in the pH range of 4.5 to 7.0 and, in terms of thermostability, the enzyme maintained more than 90% of its initial activity between 30 and 45°C after 1 hour of incubation. The enzyme extract also showed activities of other enzymes, such as amylase (64.57 U/g of substrate), endoglucanase (181.32 U/g of substrate), β-glucosidase (75.72 U/g of substrate) and xylanase (2069.24 U/g of substrate). These results indicate that the T. aurantiacus fun gus is a promising source of pectinases, cellulases and hemicellulases, with potential applications in various industrial processes.