Obtaining endophytic fungi from cocoa industry waste for laccase production and application in the treatment of synthetic effluents

• Grant number: 24/14025-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: January 01, 2025
• End date: December 31, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Chemical Technology
• Principal Investigator: Andreia de Araújo Morandim
• Grantee: Sophia Alves Luzeiro
• Host Institution: Centro Universitário FEI (UNIFEI). Campus de São Bernardo do Campo. São Bernardo do Campo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 23/17175-0 - Bioprospection of microorganisms from cocoa waste for the production of enzymes and use of biomass: powering the green economy in the energy sector, AP.R

Abstract

Studies for new sources of enzymes have grown significantly. In this context, microorganisms have shown themselves to be potential producers of the most diverse classes of enzymes, especially endophytic fungi, which can be obtained from plants, algae, and microalgae. Therefore, aiming to contribute to the studies that have been developed by researchers from several countries, in this work (produced within the FAPESP project 2023/17175-0), endophytic fungi will initially be isolated from cocoa residues from the processing industry. For this, consecutive subcultures will be carried out in potato dextrose agar medium. The effectiveness of using leaves and stems, bark, and processing residues as a matrix for obtaining the fungi will be evaluated. After the isolation of the fungi, the effectiveness of laccase production by these microorganisms will be assessed. The species that shows the most promise in the production of the enzyme of interest will be subjected to growth in a specific liquid medium for laccase production composed of malt extract (1.25% w/v), Tween 80 (0.10% w/v), CuSO4 (0.0005% w/v), KH2PO4 (1 g/L), Na2HPO4 (0.26 g/L), MgSO4.7H2O (0.50 g/L), peptone (1% w/v) and glucose (10 g/L). The influence of pH, temperature, and cultivation time on the production of laccase secreted by the selected fungus will be evaluated. For this, a statistical design will reduce the number of experiments. The enzymatic extract obtained under the optimized conditions will be subjected to the immobilization process in chitosan and applied in several consecutive cycles of effluent treatment. Preliminary evaluations of the effectiveness of using the immobilized material (extract enriched in laccase immobilized in chitosan) in treating synthetic effluents containing dyes will be carried out.