Nigericin antibiotic application for microbiological control in the agro-industrial sector

Abstract

Brazil is the second largest producer of ethanol in the world. However, the monitoring and control of microbial contaminants in fermentation vats are fundamental to improving the efficiency and yield of ethanol production. Bacterial contamination is certainly the main factor that affects fermentation.Undoubtedly, the use of biocides which, because of its bactericidal or bacteriostatic properties, act as disinfectants reducing microbiological contamination of fermentation is the procedure most employed.The most commercial antibiotics used for bacterial control during fermentation are chloramphenicol, tetracycline, penicillin and monensin. Among which stands out the antibiotic monensin, which has great activity against Gram-positive bacteria, the main causes of contamination in ethanol fermentation process. The monensin belongs to the class of polyether ionophore antibiotics produced by actinomycetes of the genus Streptomyces cinnamonensis, within this class of compounds are known over 120 different structures, among them the nigericin. In a recent work on the dissertation student André Luiz Silva Scridelli was evaluated the potential production of nigericin by 26 EUCAL actinobacteria, isolated from the rhizosphere of Eucalyptus. This presents a great biotechnological potential. Because only active metabolite nigericin is produce. Another very promising result was the production of nigericin approximately 500.0 mg /L, using a solution of 1% soy molasses as culture medium. Thus, the main objective of this PIPE is to achieve an unprecedented cooperation between company MC DISINFECTION INDUSTRIAL and the laboratory mass spectrometry applied to natural products, which aims at developing the potential of application of antibiotic nigericin to microbiological control of the fermentation of ethanol produced by actinobacteria EUCAL 26 process. (AU)