Use of Agro-Industrial Wastes for the Production of a Wild Yeast Enzyme with Disintegration Activity on Plant Tissues

Abstract The objective of the present study was to develop a cost-effective medium, using agro-industrial wastes for the production of a polygalacturonase by Wickerhanomyces anomalus of interest in cassava starch industries. The effect of several raw agro-industrial wastes and others nutrients on polygalacturonase production by W. anomalus, were evaluated, in a reference fermentation medium, using statistical designs, by batch culture. The ability of the cell-free supernatant to extract cassava starch was evaluated. Lemon peel was the best inducer for the production of PGase. Statistical analysis of the data showed that lemon peel, Mg+2 and PO4HK2 had significant effect on PGase production, and the others variables (yeast extract, Ca+2, Fe+2, amino acid and trace element solution) were no significant. PGase synthesis reached ~31 EUmL-1, in the OFM (glucose, lemon peel, urea, vitamins, KH2PO4 and MgSO4), after 12 h of culture, at a lab scale bioreactor. PGase of W. anomalus, was able to disintegrate cassava tuber tissue, and the starch granules contained within the cells were released into the reaction medium. Lemon peel can be used as inducer for PGase production by W. anomalus, in a low cost culture medium, appropriate for the production of the enzyme at large scale.

Cultivo por lote de Wickerhamomyces anomaìus en un biorreactor a escala laboratorio para la producción de una poligalacturonasa / Batch culture of Wickerhamomyces anomaìus in a lab scale bioreactor for poligalacturonase production

Wickerhamomyces anomalus, una levadura aislada de frutas cítricas en la provincia de Misiones, Argentina, produce una poligalacturonasa (endo-PG) con capacidad macerante de tejidos vegetales. El objetivo del presente trabajo fue determinai los parámetros cinéticos y estequiométricos del crecimiento de W. anomalus y la producción de la enzima poligalacturonasa en un medio de cultivo sintético, operado en sistema por lote, en un biorreactor a escala laboratorio. Los cultivos se realizaron en un biorreactor de 4 l que contenía 3 l de un medio sintético compuesto por glucosa, pectina de citrus, vitaminas, aminoácidos, sulfato de amonio y sales, y se incubaron con agitación y aireación, a 30 °C durante 12 h. El transcurso de proceso fermentativo se siguió por medidas de biomasa, glucosa residual, actividad poligalacturonasa y contenido de O2 y CO2 de los gases a la salida del reactor. La velocidad específica de crecimiento máxima (-im) de W. anomalus fue de 0,337 h-1 y el rendimiento de biomasa producida (Yx/s) de 0,401 gx/gs. Al finalizar el cultivo, la actividad PG en el sobrenadante fue de PG de ~ 83,7 UE/ml. La actividad específica y la productividad obtenidas fueron de ~ 1,91. 10(4) UE/gx y ~ 9.301 UE/l.h, respectivamente. El cociente respiratorio fue cercano a 1 durante el proceso fermentativo. No se formó ningún otro producto, además de biomasa y CO 2 . El cultivo por lote resultó ser una buena alternativa para la producción de PG a partir de W. anomalus, obteniéndose un extracto con elevada actividad enzimática, en un medio de cultivo sintético y de bajo costo.

Wickerhamomyces anomalus, a yeast isolated from citrus fruit peels in the province of Misiones, Argentina, produces a polygalacturonase (endo-PG) with maceration activity of vegetable tissues. The objective of the present work was to determine kinetic and stoichiometric parameters of W. anomalus growth and polygalacturonase production in a synthetic culture medium, operating in a batch-type bioreactor at laboratory scale. Cultures were performed in a bioreactor of 4 l, containing 3 l of a synthetic medium composed of glucose, citrus pectin, vitamins, amino acids, ammonium sulfate and salts, and were incubated with agitation (450 rpm) and aeration at 30 °C, during 12 h. The course of the fermentation process was followed by measuring biomass, residual glucose, polygalacturonase activity and O2 and CO2 content of outlet gases from the reactor. The maximum specific growth rate (Um) of W. anomalus was 0.337 h-1 and the biomass yield (Yx/s) was 0.40 gx/gs. At the end of the culture, PG activity in the supernatant was ~84 UE/ml. The specific activity and the productivity obtained were ~1.91 104 UE/gx and ~9,301 UE/l.h, respectively. Respiratory quotient was approximately 1.0 throughout the fermentation process. No other product different from biomass and CO2 was detected. Batch culture could be an adequate alternative for the production of polygalacturonase from W. anomalus and an extract with high enzymatic activity using a synthetic and economic culture medium could be obtained.

Purification and Characterization of a Polygalacturonase Produced by Wickerhamomyces anomalus

The aim of this work was to study the purification and physicochemical properties of an endo-polygalacturonase (PG) produced by Wickerhamomyces anomalus isolated from the citrus fruit peels. The enzyme was purified to homogeneity from the culture filtrate of W. anomalus grown on the yeast nitrogen base medium with glucose as carbon and energy source and citrus pectin as inductor. After anion-exchange chromatography and gel filtration chromatography, PG activity was eluted as a single peak, yielding 21% of the original activity. After dialysis and cation-exchange chromatography, only one fraction with PG activity was obtained, recovering 56% of initial enzyme activity and 1.3-fold increase in specific activity. The molecular weight of the enzyme was estimated as 43 kDa by the SDS-PAGE. The enzyme exhibited maximal activity at pH 4.2 and was stable over a pH range from 3.5 to 6.0 and up to 49ºC for 10 h. The Vmax and Km values with polygalacturonic acid as substrate were 0.26 mmol/L.min and 0.173 mg/mL, respectively. Cations such as Cu+2, Fe+3, Mg+2, Mn+2 and Zn+2 did not show any significant effect on PG activity but K+ and Ca+2 reduced it. The purified PG was able to macerate cassava tissues.