Mycotechnology to remove of metals from tannery and galvanic effluents - Fungal species from the Amazon and Atlantic Forest show high efficiency.

Metals are considered one of the biggest environmental problems, due to their toxicity and the complexity of removal. This study evaluated the bioaccumulation capacity of water contaminating metals by fungal isolates of Lentinus and Panus species, to elucidate the bioremediation processes of metal contaminated effluents. Initially, tests were performed with fungal isolates using a mixture of metals, aluminum, iron, copper, lead, chromium, nickel and zinc. Lentinus crinitus 154L.21 was the most promising fungus for the removal of metals in the mixture. Based on these data, the potential application of this fungus for the treatment of galvanic and tannery effluents was evaluated. For galvanic effluent, no detectable copper, chromium, and nickel was removed; however, for tannery effluents, reductions in aluminum concentrations from 204.1 to 3.7 mg L-1 (≅98% removal), chromium from 1199.6 to 20.4 mg L-1 (≅98% removal) and iron from 22.6 mg L-1 (100% removal) to an amount lower than the detection limit were observed. These data indicated that L. crinitus 154L.21 removes metals from industrial effluents, being an important route for bioremediation processes.

Production of antimicrobial metabolites against pathogenic bacteria and yeasts by Fusarium oxysporum in submerged culture processes.

The antimicrobial activity of the metabolites produced by Fusarium oxysporum PR-33 in submerged culture was evaluated against Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and yeasts. Metabolites were determined by HPLC-DAD-MS/MS. An extract was obtained following the removal of mycelium by centrifugation and lyophilisation of the supernatant. The compounds in this extract demonstrated broad-spectrum antimicrobial action, with rates of inhibition between 60 and 80%, depending on the species and extract tested. The major compounds of the extracts were identified as fusarinolic acid and its isomer [56.9% flask extract (FE)] and 59.2% bioreactor extract (BE), dehydrofusaric acid (35.7% FE and 31.6% BE), and fusaric acid (6.5% FE and 1.1% BE). Fusaric acid has been shown to be responsible for antimicrobial activity. The cytotoxicity of the extracts was evaluated in culture of HEK-293 and SH-SY5Y animal cells and toxicity of these extracts was verified even in the lowest tested concentrations. Therefore, our results indicate that the compounds identified exhibit potential as antimicrobial agents.