Multivariate analysis of nutritional parameters required for the submerged cultivation of three coprinaceous fungi for biosurfactant production

Abstract

Biosurfactants are natural hydrocarbon surfactant compounds that decrease surface tension and have a high emulsifying capacity. Biosurfactants are produced through microbial metabolic processes and have several advantages over chemical surfactants, including low toxicity and high biodegradability. Bioremediation offers the possibility of eliminating or transforming various contaminant compounds present in soil and water. Fungi are effective transforming agents due to their ability to degrade a diverse variety of organic substances. Thus, considering the potential of fungi to produce biosurfactants and the importance of these compounds for various industrial processes, the objective of this work was to verify the effects and interactions of different concentrations of various nutrients on biosurfactant production in three coprinaceous fungi isolates. These isolates were obtained from spent mushroom substrate (SMS) produced during the edible mushroom growth process. All three fungal isolates, termed FS-4.1, FS-4.2, and FS-4.3, were potential sources for biosurfactant production, as evidenced by the emulsifier index of the fermentation medium. However, biosurfactant production was maximum in isolate FS-4.1, yielding an emulsifier index of 73.45%. To optimize the FS-4.1 biosurfactant production process, corn oil, glycerol, and yeast extract must be absent from the fermentation medium (to minimize negative effects on the process) and increase the amounts of glucose and soy oil.