Biosurfactant Production by Fusarium oxysporum LM 5634 Using Peels from the fruit of Bactris gasipaes (Kunth) as Substrate
Michele Alves Sanches
Graduate Program in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Amazonas (UFAM), Brazil
Ralyvan Araujo dos Santos
Graduate Program in Biotechnology, Amazonas State University (UEA), Brazil
Ana Cláudia Alves Cortez
Department of Medical Microbiology, National Research Institute Amazon (INPA), Av. André Araújo 2936, 69080-971 Amazonas, Brazil
Richy Mariner
School of Applied Sciences, Cranfield University, MK43 0AL, Cranfield, UK
João Vicente Braga de Souza *
Laboratório de Micologia Médica, Instituto Nacional de Pesquisas da Amazönia, André Araújo, 2.936 - Aleixo - CEP 69067-375 - Manaus -AM, Brazil
*Author to whom correspondence should be addressed.
Abstract
Aim: The aim of this work was to find new fungal sources of biosurfactants via bioprospecting and to produce biosurfactants from fungal isolates using inexpensive culture media.
Methodology: Bioprocess tests were conducted with five fungal species isolated from soil from the Amazon region in order to investigate which of them presented the highest productivity in a kinetics experiment. The possibility of using the peels from the fruit of Astrocaryum aculeatum Meyer (PFAC), Bactris gasipaes Kunth (PFBG), Theobroma grandiflorum Schumann (PFTG), Musa paradisiaca (PFMP) as substrates was also evaluated.
Results: Fusarium oxysporum LM 5634 had the highest productivity, and PFBG was the best substrate for biosurfactant production.
Conclusion: Thus, the present study showed the potential of fungi and wastes (fruit peels) from the Amazon region for biosurfactant production.
Keywords: Biosurfactants, Filamentous fungi, peels