Diversity of Filamentous Fungi of Area from Brazilian Caatinga and High-Level Tannase Production Using Mango (<i>Mangifera indica</i>L.) and Surinam Cherry (<i>Eugenia uniflora</i>L.) Leaves under SSF

Tannase is a biotechnologically important enzyme that can be produced during fungal fermentation of organic matter. The Caatinga is an exclusive Brazilian ecosystem that has been largely unexplored by science, particularly its filamentous fungal diversity. This study evaluated the diversity of filamentous fungi in the Caatinga soils of Pernambuco, Brazil, and their potential for tannase production by solid-state fermentation (SSF) of mango (Mangifera indica L.) and Surinam cherry (Eugenia uniflora L.) leaves. A total of 4711 isolates were obtained, 2090 during the rainy seasonand 2621 during the dry season. The isolates belonged to 18 genera and 66 species, with Aspergillus and Penicillium having the highest species richness. The dry season had a higher diversity index. Aspergillus was the dominant genus, and A. flavus, A. sclerotiorum, and A. ochraceus the most abundant species. A representative of each species was tested for tannase production using dried mango and Surinam cherry leaves as substrates;the leaves contained 14.28 and 7.0 g/L tannin, respectively. Most fungal species produced tannase, but the highest yields were obtained when mango leaves were used as substrate for Penicillium restrictum (accession URM 6044), Aspergillus flavofurcatus (URM 6142), and A. stromatoides (URM 6609), which produced 104.16, 87.51, and 81.83 U/mL tannase, respectively. These yields exceeded previously published reports. Filamentous fungi from Caatinga soils have great potential for producing tannase by SSF, and low-cost mango leaves make excellent substrate.

Production of Peanut Intercropped with Forage Palm in Pernambuco State, Brazil

The greater use of crop fields by increasing plant population is an alternative to minimize losses to the farmers who use crop intercropped provides other benefits such as lower incidence of diseases and pests, and better exploitation and enrichment agroecosystem. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of the population of peanuts with and without inoculation and intercropping with forage palm on growth, productivity and biomass peanut. The treatments consisted of different populations of peanut (one, two and three rows of peanut row spacing of two meters of cactus pear), with and without inoculant, analyzed in subdivided plot scheme (3 × 2), totalizing six treatments in a randomized block design with four replications. The variables evaluated were plant height, number of branches, shoot dry mass and root nodule number, nodule dry weight, biomass productivity and legumes. The largest population of plants in number of lines of peanut intercropped with forage cactus promotes greater total biomass production and yield of beans and does not alter the height, branch number, dry mass of aerial part roots and nodules. The inoculant application did not result in to increased productivity biomass and growth of peanut plants, their use is not indicated. The planting of a row of peanuts between the rows of palm is not economically recommended.

Production and Characterization of New Fibrinolytic Protease from Mucor subtillissimus UCP 1262 in Solid-State Fermentation

Fibrinolytic enzymes have received attention regarding their medicinal potential for thrombolytic diseases, a leading cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. Various natural enzymes purified from animal, plant and microbial sources have been extensively studied. The aim of this work was to produce fibrinolytic protease by solid state fermentation using agro industrial substrates. Rhizopus arrhizus var. arrhizus UCP 1295 and Mucor subtillissimus UCP 1262 filamentous fungi species isolated from soil of Caatinga-PE, Brasil, were used as producer microorganisms. Wheat bran was shown to be the best substrate for the production of the enzyme and by using a 23 full factorial design the main effects and interactions of the quantity of the substrate wheat bran, moisture and temperature on the fibrinolytic enzyme production and protease were evaluated. The best results for fibrinolytic and protease activities, 144.58 U/mL and 48.33 U/mL, respectively, were obtained with Mucor subtillissimus UCP 1262 using as culture medium 3 g wheat bran, 50% moisture at a temperature of 25°C for 72 hours. The optimum temperature for the produced enzyme was 45°C and most of its original activity was retained after being subjected to 80°C for 120 min. The protease activity was enhanced by K+, Ca+ and Mn+;but with Cu+ there was an inhibition. The specificity to chromogenic substrate and the inhibition by PMSF indicates that it is a chymotrypsin-like serine protease. Presented results suggest that this enzyme produced by solid-state fermentation is an interesting alternative as a candidate for thrombolytic therapy.