RETICULAÇÃO DE POLISSACARÍDEO DE CAJUEIRO DO CERRADO (ANACARDIUM OTHONIANUM RIZZ.), ANACARDIACEAE E DEGRADAÇÃO DO HIDROGEL POR ASPERGILLUS NIGER

CROSSLINKING OF CASHEW TREE POLYSACCHARIDE FROM THE CERRADO (ANACARDIUM OTHONIANUM RIZZ.), ANACARDIACEAE AND HYDROGEL DEGRADATION BY ASPERGILLUS NIGER

Abstract

In this study, we tested the use of the cashew tree (PEJU) polysaccharide as a carbon source for A. niger and the feasibility of trapping fungal biomass using hydrogel as a support. The hydrogel was the product obtained by cross-linking the gum polysaccharide by the reaction of epichlorohydrin and glutaraldehyde. PEJU was offered as the only carbon source for the cultivation of A. niger. After 96 h of cultivation, the dry weight before and after cultivation was measured. The crosslinking conditions of the polysaccharide by glutaraldehyde for A. othonianum Rizz. were optimized in this work. The yield was compared to that performed with epichlorohydrin. The hydrogels obtained from the crosslinking were incubated with spores of A. niger for 96 h. The culture medium, containing PEJU as a carbon source, allowed the increase of A. niger biomass, being higher in agitation conditions. The hydrogel yield by glutaraldehyde was 20.4% and by epichlorohydrin, 78.13%. The biomass of A. niger, after the culture of reticulated gum, increased. The product obtained from the cross-linking of the polysaccharide, the hydrogel, was not degraded by the fungal biomass.