Produção de ácido cítrico a partir do cultivo de Aspergillus niger e Trichoderma reesei em bagaço de cana-de-açúcar e fermentação etanólica do extrato fúngico

Abstract

Solid-state cultivation (SSC) are characterized by microbial growth on solid supports, often agroindustrial by-products, in conditions of absence of free water. Citric acid and ethanol are important commercial bioproducts used in various industrial sectors, which could be obtained by SSC of fungi from bagasse sugarcane and vinasse, with subsequent fermentation, minimizing the cost of production with the use two industrial byproducts. Fungi consortium has advantages over the isolated cultures, highlighting the best use of substrates due to enzyme supplementation, especially in terms of hydrolases. In this sense, the aim of this research was to evaluate the SSC of Aspergillus niger and Trichoderma reesei alone for the production of citric acid from sugarcane bagasse impregnated with different solutions (sucrose and vinasse) and the consortium of these fungi followed by ethanol fermentation of fungal yeast extract. The experimental steps set up the cultivation of A. niger for production of citric acid from submerged particles of sugarcane bagasse; SSC of A. niger and T. reesei alone and mixed using as impregnating with and without sucrose solution and vinasse pretreated with acid hydrolysis; ethanol fermentation of fungal extract by Saccharomyces cerevisiae. Results indicate the feasibility of Aspergillus niger´growth on submerged particles of sugarcane bagasse for citric acid production in medium with addition of sucrose. SSC of this fungus from sugarcane bagasse resulted in 103 mg L-1 of citric acid content in 4 days without addition of sucrose to the solid medium. Similarly, SSC of Trichoderma reesei in sugarcane bagasse leads citric acid production around 67 mg L-1 with raw vinasse in the first growth day. Specific production of 2.51 mg g-1 h-1 in terms of citric acid was obtained from the fungal consortium higher than that obtained using the two fungi alone. Ethanol fermentation tests by Saccharomyces cerevisiae from the fungal extract obtained by the SSC indicated that it is feasible to obtain a second bioproduct, especially high yield of glucose into ethanol to extract condition obtained from T. reesei without sucrose in 5 days. Results suggests the viability in the use of two important by-products of the sugarcane industry via microbial consortium by SSC, leading an interesting research field with various scientific and regional aspects.