Monday, May 5, 2008
7-49

Employment of a Low Cost Methodology for Simultaneous Biological Detoxification of Castor Bean Waste and Lipase Production by Filamentous Fungus

Mateus G. Godoy1, Melissa L. E. Gutarra1, Fábio M. Maciel2, Shayany P. Felix2, Juliana V. Bevilaqua3, Olga L.T. Machado2, and Denise M.G. Freire1. (1) Departamento de Bioquímica, Instituto de Química, Universidade Federal do Rio de Janeiro, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, (2) Centro de Biociências e Biotecnologia, Universidade Estadual Norte Fluminense, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, (3) Cenpes, Petrobras, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

The castor bean (Ricinus communis) is an oleaginous candidate for biodiesel production. In recent years, the Petrobras Research Center is developing a biodiesel production process from castor bean seeds. After the transesterification reaction, a reject named castor bean waste is produced.  This waste, extremely alkaline, presents no utility after the process of biodiesel production and it cannot be used as animal feed. Furthermore, castor bean seeds contain a strong toxin (ricin) and an allergenic protein fraction (CB-1A or 2S albumin isoforms), which severely limits the usefulness of the castor meal after the oil extraction. Solid state fermentation (SSF) of castor bean waste, a byproduct of biodiesel production, was carried out for ricin detoxification, allergenic problems reduction and lipase production. The fungus Penicillium simplicissimum, an excellent lipase producer, was able to grow and produce the enzyme in this waste. The maximum lipase activity achieved was 17 U/g, without optimization of culture conditions. Furthermore, the fermentation by the fungus P. simplicissimum was as able do reduce the ricin content to non detectable values as to decrease the allergenic potential of the castor bean waste in approximately 16%. In this way, the SSF of castor bean waste by P. simplicissimum aggregated value to the residue, by the production of a enzyme with greater biotechnological potential at low cost and also by solving the principal disposal problem of this residue, the ricin.

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