Lentinula edodes lignocellulolases and lipases produced in Macaúba residue and use of the enzymatic extract in the degradation of textile dyes.

Agro-industrial residue and textile effluents have caused environmental damage to soil and water bodies. The production of fungal enzymes using agro-industrial residues and the use of these enzymes in the degradation of textile dyes can be a viable alternative to reduce these environmental damages. Lentinula edodes is a white rot fungus with high nutritional value that produces edible mushrooms and enzymes of commercial interest. Thus, the objectives of this study were to produce, purify, and biochemically characterize the lignocellulolytic enzymes and lipases produced for L. edodes in Macaúba coconut and to evaluate their potential for the degradation of textile dyes. The L. edodes UFV 73 had maximum enzymatic activity at 37 days of incubation. After the purification steps, the laccase, manganese peroxidase (MnP), cellulase, and, xylanase yields were 489.01, 264.2, 105.02, and 9.5%. The optimum temperature of cellulase activity did not change from 4 to 60 °C. The MnP, laccase, and lipase had activity directly proportional to the increase in temperature, while the cellulase and xylanase activity did not change. The optimum pH varied among analyzed enzymes. All the enzymes analyzed are according to Michaelis-Menten kinetics. The lignocellulolytic enzymes were stable up to 8 h of incubation and lipase had a reduction of activity after one hour. The discoloration rate of indigo dye by partially purified enzymatic extract (PPPE) was 40%, which shows its potential for degradation of dyes from textile industries.

Efficient and easily scaled-up biosorbent based on natural and chemically modified macauba (Acrocomia aculeata) to remove Al3+, Mn2+ and Fe3+ from surface water contaminated with iron mining tailings.

The ruptures of tailings mine dams in the cities of Mariana and Brumadinho contaminated local Brazilian Rivers with toxic metals. Herein, we describe a scaled-up biosorbent based on natural macauba endocarp (NTE) and macauba endocarp chemically treated (TE) to remove Al3+, Mn2+ and Fe3+ from aqueous solutions. For the TE material: the variation of pH and temperature of water did not cause significant sorption interferences; the kinetics studies suggest a pseudo-second-order model; the adsorption isotherms revealed that the Langmuir equation was the best fit for Al3+ and Mn2+, while the Freundlich equation best described the Fe3+; and the maximum adsorption capacities were between 0.268 mg g-1 and 1.379 mg g-1. A scaled-up was carried out using an adsorption column to remove the metals from Rio Paraopeba River water samples and the results showed that both NTE and TE are potentially low cost biosorbents for removing Al3+, Mn2+ and Fe3+.

A Novel Fungal Lipase With Methanol Tolerance and Preference for Macaw Palm Oil.

Macaw palm is a highly oil-producing plant, which presents high contents of free fatty acids, being a promising feedstock for biofuel production. The current chemical routes are costly and complex, involving highly harsh industrial conditions. Enzymatic processing is a potential alternative; however, it is hampered by the scarce knowledge on biocatalysts adapted to this acidic feedstock. This work describes a novel lipase isolated from the thermophilic fungus Rasamsonia emersonii (ReLip), which tolerates extreme conditions such as the presence of methanol, high temperatures, and acidic medium. Among the tested feedstocks, the enzyme showed the highest preference for macaw palm oil, producing a hydrolyzate with a final free fatty acid content of 92%. Crystallographic studies revealed a closed conformation of the helical amphipathic lid that typically undergoes conformational changes in a mechanism of interfacial activation. Such conformation of the lid is stabilized by a salt bridge, not observed in other structurally characterized homologs, which is likely involved in the tolerance to organic solvents. Moreover, the lack of conservation of the aromatic cluster IxxWxxxxxF in the lid of ReLip with the natural mutation of the phenylalanine by an alanine might be correlated with the preference of short acyl chains, although preserving catalytic activity on insoluble substrates. In addition, the presence of five acidic amino acids in the lid of ReLip, a rare property reported in other lipases, may have contributed to its ability to tolerate and be effective in acidic environments. Therefore, our work describes a new fungal biocatalyst capable of efficiently hydrolyzing macaw oil, an attractive feedstock for the production of "drop-in" biofuels, with high desirable feature for industrial conditions such as thermal and methanol tolerance, and optimum acidic pH. Moreover, the crystallographic structure was elucidated, providing a structural basis for the enzyme substrate preference and tolerance to organic solvents.

Efeito da inclusão da torta de macaúba na população de protozoários do rúmen de vacas leiteiras / The effect of macauba meal inclusion in the ruminal protozoa population of dairy cows

Avaliaram-se os efeitos da inclusão da torta de macaúba (TM) na dieta sobre a concentração e o perfil da população de protozoários ciliados do rúmen. Foram utilizadas oito vacas Holandesas, dispostas em dois quadrados latinos 4x4 e alimentadas com diferentes níveis de inclusão da TM (0, 100, 200 e 300g kg-1 de matéria seca na dieta total). Para quantificação e identificação dos protozoários, amostras de 1mL do líquido ruminal de cada animal foram diluídas em 9mL de solução de formaldeído a 10%. Após diluições decimais sucessivas em solução salina, os protozoários foram quantificados em câmara de Sedgewick. A identificação foi realizada sob a luz da microscopia óptica, utilizando-se a objetiva de 40x para caracterizar o mínimo de 100 indivíduos por amostra. As concentrações de protozoários pequenos (P<0,01), médios (P=0,05), grandes (P=0,01) e o número total (P<0,01) apresentaram comportamento linear decrescente com o aumento dos níveis de inclusão da TM nas dietas. Foram encontradas características morfológicas típicas de 16 gêneros de protozoários ciliados, sendo os gêneros Entodinium e Eodinium os mais frequentes no líquido ruminal dos animais avaliados. O perfil da população de protozoários ciliados sofreu pequenas alterações com a inclusão da TM, sendo observada alteração na participação percentual dos gêneros Charonina (P = 0,03) e Polyplastron (P<0,01). A utilização da TM na dieta de bovinos promove redução na concentração e modificação no perfil da população de protozoários ciliados do rúmen.

The effects of meal macaúba (MM) inclusion on the concentration and profile of the ciliate protozoa of the bovine rumen were evaluated. Eight Holstein cows were used during second lactation, with average 480 kg of body weight, arranged in two 4x4 Latin squares simultaneously and fed four diets with different concentrations of the MM (0, 100, 200 and 300 g kg-1). For identification and quantification of protozoa, samples of ruminal fluid from each animal with 1 ml were diluted in 9mL of 10% formaldehyde. After consecutive decimal dilutions in saline solution, protozoa were assessed in a Sedgewick chamber. The identification was carried out under the optical light microscope using a 40x objective to characterize at least 100 individuals per sample. The concentrations of small (P<0.01), medium (P=0.05), large (P= 0.01), and the total number (P<0.01) of protozoa decreased linearly with the increasing MM inclusion. Morphological characteristics typical of 16 genera of ciliates were found, being the Entodinium spp. and Eodinium spp. the most frequent in the rumen fluid of animals evaluated. The profile of the population of ciliated protozoa suffer minor changes with the addition of MM, with a change in the percentage share of Charonina spp. (P = 0.03) and Polyplastron spp. (P <0.01). The use of the MM in the cattle diet promotes reduction in the concentration and change in the profile of the population of rumen ciliates protozoa.

Parâmetros genéticos e diversidade em progênies de Macaúba com base em características morfológicas e fisiológicas / Genetic parameters and diversity in progenies from Macaw Palm based on morphological and physiological traits

A obtenção de estimativas confiáveis de parâmetros genéticos, incluindo dados relacionados à variabilidade das populações sob melhoramento, é essencial para se elucidar a estrutura genética das populações e para se inferir sobre sua variabilidade genética e seu potencial de melhoramento. Nesse sentido, este trabalho teve por objetivo estimar parâmetros genéticos e a diversidade em progênies de Macaúba com base em características morfológicas e fisiológicas. Para o estudo, foram avaliadas características morfológicas e fisiológicas em 15 progênies de macaúba, em delineamento em blocos ao acaso com 5 repetições e 3 plantas por parcela, no espaçamento de 5x5m. Não houve variabilidade para a maioria das características fisiológicas no conjunto de progênies avaliadas. Porém, verificou-se variabilidade genética para os caracteres morfológicos avaliados. As famílias de macaúba agruparam-se em três grupos distintos quanto à diversidade genética, sendo a família CPAC-03 a mais divergente em relação às demais. A eficiência no uso da água e o comprimento de raquis foram as características que mais contribuíram para a dissimilaridade das famílias de macaúba.

Obtaining reliable estimates of genetic parameters, including data related to the existing level of variability in breeding populations is essential to elucidate the genetic structure of populations and to infer their genetic variability and potential for improvement. Therefore, this study aimed to estimate genetic parameters and diversity in progenies from Macaw Palm based on morphological and physiological traits. For that, morphological and physiological traits were evaluated in 15 macaw palm progenies (established following a random block design with 5 repetitions and 3 plants per plot - 5x5m spacing). No significant genetic variability was observed for physiological traits in the evaluated progenies. However, for the morphological traits, the existence of genetic variability was evidenced. The macaw palm families were grouped into three distinct groups based on its genetic dissimilarity, being CPAC-03, the most divergent progeny to the others. The water use efficiency and the leaflet length were the traits that contributed most to the dissimilarity of the families.