PRODUCTION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF CELLULOLYTIC ENZYMES BY ASPERGILLUS NIGER AND RHIZOPUS SP. BY SOLID STATE FERMENTATION OF PRICKLY PEAR

Authors

  • Tamires Carvalho dos Santos Master in Environmental Sciences, Universidade Estadual do sudoeste da Bahia, Itapetinga, BA
  • George Abreu Filho Master in Environmental Sciences, Universidade Estadual do sudoeste da Bahia, Itapetinga, BA
  • Aila Riany de Brito Master in Engineering and Food Science, Universidade Estadual do sudoeste da Bahia, Itapetinga, BA
  • Aureliano José Vieira Pires Department of Rural Technology and Animal, Universidade Estadual do sudoeste da Bahia, Itapetinga, BA
  • Renata Cristina Ferreira Bonomo Department of Rural Technology and Animal, Universidade Estadual do sudoeste da Bahia, Itapetinga, BA
  • Marcelo Franco Department of Exact Sciences and Technology, Universidade Estadual de Santa Cruz, Ilheus, BA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.1590/1983-21252016v29n126rc

Keywords:

Filamentous fungi. Response surface methodology. Bioprocesses. Semi-arid region. Enzymatic characterization.

Abstract

Prickly palm cactus husk was used as a solid-state fermentation support substrate for the production of cellulolytic enzymes using Aspergillus niger and Rhizopus sp. A Box-Behnken design was used to evaluate the effects of water activity, fermentation time and temperature on endoglucanase and total cellulase production. Response Surface Methodology showed that optimum conditions for endoglucanase production were achieved at after 70.35 h of fermentation at 29.56°C and a water activity of 0.875 for Aspergillus niger and after 68.12 h at 30.41°C for Rhizopus sp. Optimum conditions for total cellulase production were achieved after 74.27 h of fermentation at 31.22°C for Aspergillus niger and after 72.48 h and 27.86°C for Rhizopus sp. Water activity had a significant effect on Aspergillus niger endoglucanase production only. In industrial applications, enzymatic characterization is important for optimizing variables such as temperature and pH. In this study we showed that endoglucanase and total cellulase had a high level of thermostability and pH stability in all the enzymatic extracts. Enzymatic deactivation kinetic experiments indicated that the enzymes remained active after the freezing of the crude extract. Based on the results, bioconversion of cactus is an excellent alternative for the production of thermostable enzymes.

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Published

12-03-2016

Issue

Section

Food Engineering