Diversity of amylolytic potential in filamentous fungi: purification and characterization of a glucoamylase from Aspergillus brasiliensis

Abstract

Because of its territorial extension and various biomes Brazil holds among 15 to 20% of the worldwide biodiversity. This biodiversity is getting lost fast. It is estimated that only 10 % of the Brazilian species are known. Among this amount, the fungi are also known as good enzyme producers, such as amylases, that generate a great biotechnological interest. Starch is the main carbohydrate reserve in plants, and it constitutes a large part of the human population diet. Enzymes that catalyze the breakdown of starch, especially alpha-amylases, beta-amylases and glucoamylases have wide application in textile, pulp and paper, detergent, baking, pharmaceutical and beverage industries. This work aims to isolate, select and identify fungal strains, optimize fermentation processes, the purification and enzymatic characterization as well as the sequencing of at least one amylase for effective comparison of fungi from different genera or specie.