Effect of Corn Steep Liquor (CSL) and Cassava Wastewater (CW) on Chitin and Chitosan Production by Cunninghamella elegans and Their Physicochemical Characteristics and Cytotoxicity
Lúcia Raquel Ramos Berger,
Thayza Christina Montenegro Stamford,
Thatiana Montenegro Stamford-Arnaud,
Luciana de Oliveira Franco,
Aline Elesbão do Nascimento,
Horacinna M. de M. Cavalcante,
Rui Oliveira Macedo,
Galba Maria de Campos-Takaki
Affiliations
Lúcia Raquel Ramos Berger
Post-Graduate Program in Biological Sciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife 50670420, PE, Brazil
Thayza Christina Montenegro Stamford
Department of Tropical Medicine, Center of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife 50670420, PE, Brazil
Thatiana Montenegro Stamford-Arnaud
Department of Tropical Medicine, Center of Health Sciences, Federal University of Pernambuco, Recife 50670420, PE, Brazil
Luciana de Oliveira Franco
Center of Biology Sciences, Department of Microbiology, Federal Rural University of Pernambuco, Recife 52171900, PE, Brazil
Aline Elesbão do Nascimento
Nucleus of Research in Environmental Science and Biotechnology, Catholic University of Pernambuco, Recife 50050590, PE, Brazil
Horacinna M. de M. Cavalcante
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba-UFPB, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
Rui Oliveira Macedo
Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Federal University of Paraíba-UFPB, João Pessoa 58051-900, PB, Brazil
Galba Maria de Campos-Takaki
Nucleus of Research in Environmental Science and Biotechnology, Catholic University of Pernambuco, Recife 50050590, PE, Brazil
Microbiological processes were used for chitin and chitosan production with Cunninghamella elegans UCP/WFCC 0542 grown in different concentrations of two agro-industrial wastes, corn steep liquor (CSL) and cassava wastewater (CW) established using a 22 full factorial design. The polysaccharides were extracted by alkali-acid treatment and characterized by infrared spectroscopy, viscosity, thermal analysis, elemental analysis, scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction. The cytotoxicity of chitosan was evaluated for signs of vascular change on the chorioallantoic membrane of chicken eggs. The highest biomass (9.93 g/L) was obtained in trial 3 (5% CW, 8% CSL), the greatest chitin and chitosan yields were 89.39 mg/g and 57.82 mg/g, respectively, and both were obtained in trial 2 (10% CW, 4% CSL). Chitin and chitosan showed a degree of deacetylation of 40.98% and 88.24%, and a crystalline index of 35.80% and 23.82%, respectively, and chitosan showed low molecular weight (LMW 5.2 × 103 Da). Chitin and chitosan can be considered non-irritating, due to the fact they do not promote vascular change. It was demonstrated that CSL and CW are effective renewable agroindustrial alternative substrates for the production of chitin and chitosan.
