Caracterização bioquímica de amilase produzida por Paecilomyces variotii em bagaço de malte e farelo de trigo por cultivo em estado sólido.

Abstract

Amylases catalyze the hydrolysis of glycosidic bonds in starch, generating reducing sugars such as glucose and maltose. These enzymes have broad applications in the food, pharmaceutical, and biofuel industries. This study aimed to biochemically characterize the amylase produced by the fungus Paecilomyces variotii by solid-state fermentation using agro-industrial residues as substrates. Amylase production was obtained using a mixture of malt bagasse and wheat bran (1:1), after 144 hours of cultivation at 30 °C, reaching an activity of 4032 U/g of dry substrate. The enzymatic extract also showed β-glucosidase, xylanase, and pectinase activities. The optimal activity of the amylase occurred at pH 5.0 and 50 °C, maintaining structural stability between pH 3.0–8.0. After one hour of incubation at 55 °C, the enzyme retained more than 75% of its residual activity. The results demonstrate the biotechnological potential of P. variotii for the production of thermostable amylase and other industrial enzymes using low-cost agro-industrial by-products as substrates.