Produção de poligalacturonases por Aspergillus niger em processo em estado sólido em biorreator com dupla superfície

Abstract

In this work, the production of enzymes endo and exo-polygalacturonase (endo and exo-PG) by the strain Aspergillus niger t0005/007-2, in solid medium in a double-surface bioreactor, was studied. The following operational conditions were analyzed: variation of solid medium thickness, use of medium surface aeration, application of pulse of pressure to the medium, and alteration of bioreactor design by introducing a central shaft. Furthermore, enzyme-recovery parameters, such as the solvent/mass of medium rate and the extraction time, and the influence of temperature on both the activity and the stability of endo and exo-PG were evaluated. Initially, different solvent/mass of medium rates for pectinase recovery were evaluated. With the smallest volume of solvent used (rate of 7.5/1), the same enzyme activity was recovered in comparison to the further conditions with higher rates. With a time of extraction of 15 min, the same enzyme recovery achieved in tests with longer periods was achieved. With respect to the thickness of solid medium, higher biomass concentrations (100 to 120 mg of cell biomass/g of dry medium; mg/gdm) were obtained with layers of 5 to 14 cm. When the thickness was increased to 17 cm, biomass concentration decreased and the difficulty to transfer oxygen to the deeper regions of the medium was augmented. Maximum exo-PG activities (between 80 and 115 U/gdm) were achieved with medium layers from 5 to 17 cm. In all experiments, high temperature gradients were observed with peak temperatures around 50ºC. When medium surfaces were aerated, as an attempt to increase heat and mass transfer, microbial growth was hindered at an air flux of 8.5 L.min-1.kg-1mm (air liter/min/kg mm) and a biomass concentration of 75 mg/gdm was reached. Best cell growth was achieved at 1.4 and 2.8 L.min-1.kg-1mm with a biomass concentration of 103 mg/gdm. The highest endo-PG activity occurred at an air flux of 1.4 L.min-1.kg-1mm in 96 h (63 U/gdm). In this experiment, temperature gradients similar to those observed in previous non-aerated tests were measured. In the process in which pulse of pressure was applied to the medium, a negative effect on both endo and exo-PG was noticed. The highest endo-PG activity was measured after 72 h of process (24 U/gdm), whereas for exo-PG the best titer was attained in 96 h (55 U/gdm). Cell growth was also hindered with a maximum cell concentration of only 73 mg/gdm. The system was not efficient for heat removal from the medium. In the experiment with the central shaft placed in the medium, the colonization of the deeper regions of the medium was favored, although the system was not efficient with respect to heat transfer. A maximum fungal concentration of 100 mg/gdm and endo and exo-PG titers of 78 and 140 U/gdm, respectively, were achieved. With respect to the influence of temperature on the activity of endo and exo-PG, maximum titers were measured at 50 e 60ºC, respectively. For endo-PG, under the optimal temperature, it was noticed that the activity was twice that measured under the standard condition (30ºC), whereas for exo-PG activity was increased in 75%. Exo-PG showed thermal stability at 60 and 70ºC. At the same temperatures, endo-PG was completely inactivated after 15 minutes.