Application of Fungi in Bioconversions and Mycoremediation

A special issue of Fermentation (ISSN 2311-5637). This special issue belongs to the section "Microbial Metabolism, Physiology & Genetics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 December 2024 | Viewed by 1435

Special Issue Editor


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Guest Editor
Laboratory of General and Agricultural Microbiology, Department of Crop Science, Agricultural University of Athens, 11855 Athens, Greece
Interests: solid state fermentation; mushroom cultivation; analytical techniques

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Fungi, among other properties, possess a powerful arsenal of oxidizing and hydrolytic enzymes, capable of degrading numerous complex compounds (such as lignin, cellulose, phenols, etc.), contributing in this way to the degradation/detoxification, bioconversion, and/or valorization of agricultural, forestry, and agro-industrial by-products. For example, the ability of many macrofungi to grow on a large range of plant residues is exploited towards the production of various high-value products, such as mushrooms, feed, bioactive compounds, biomaterials, etc. Furthermore, fungi have the ability to degrade wastes containing significant amounts of toxic compounds and pollutants (e.g., dyes, olive mill wastes, industrial effluents), while they are also suitable for the bioremediation of contaminated soil and water receptors. Therefore, this Special Issue aims to gather and communicate the latest advances on the above-mentioned properties of fungi, the techniques/methodologies adopted for such purposes, pertinent applications and products, as well as the use of analytical techniques for the evaluation of these bioprocesses.

Dr. Georgios Bekiaris
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • solid-state fermentation
  • enzymatic activity
  • bioremediation
  • bioconversion
  • mushroom cultivation
  • waste detoxification
  • degradation of pollutants

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

18 pages, 1483 KiB  
Article
Bioconversion of Alternative Substrates for the Biosynthesis of HMG-CoA Reductase Inhibitors by Aspergillus spp. Strains with Antimicrobial Potential
by Uiara M. de B. L. Lins, Rafael de S. Mendonça, Sérgio S. S. Dantas, Adriana Ferreira de Souza, Dayana Montero-Rodríguez, Rosileide F. da S. Andrade and Galba M. Campos-Takaki
Fermentation 2024, 10(7), 367; https://doi.org/10.3390/fermentation10070367 - 18 Jul 2024
Viewed by 557
Abstract
Simvastatin, a semisynthetic drug widely used to lower cholesterol, is among the most prescribed statins worldwide. This study focuses on the direct production of a simvastatin-like biomolecule using alternative substrates by Aspergillus spp. strains. Two species, A. terreus UCP 1276 and A. flavus [...] Read more.
Simvastatin, a semisynthetic drug widely used to lower cholesterol, is among the most prescribed statins worldwide. This study focuses on the direct production of a simvastatin-like biomolecule using alternative substrates by Aspergillus spp. strains. Two species, A. terreus UCP 1276 and A. flavus UCP 0316, were initially evaluated in synthetic media as control. Subsequently, the carbon and nitrogen sources were replaced by agro-industrial substrates, resulting in five modified media. Cultures were maintained at 28 °C, pH 6.5, at 180 rpm for 21 days. Fungal growth kinetics were evaluated and a 23 full-factorial design (FFD) was used to investigate the influence of substrate concentration on statin yield. Presence of inhibitors was confirmed by bioassay, UV–visible spectrophotometry, and thin-layer chromatography (TLC). According to the results, A. flavus UCP yielded 0.24 mg/g of statin in condition 2 of FFD (medium containing 4.5% soluble starch and saline base), suggesting it as a promising candidate for direct production of the biomolecule. Statistical analysis showed the significant effect of soluble starch on inhibitor production, making it a viable and profitable alternative substrate. Moreover, the isolated statin exhibited broad-spectrum antimicrobial activity, including efficacy against Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacteria and yeasts, indicating therapeutic potential against antimicrobial resistance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Application of Fungi in Bioconversions and Mycoremediation)
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