Otimização da produção de protease por Bacillus sp. CL18 em cultivos em estado sólido e aplicações da enzima bruta

Abstract

Proteolytic enzymes represent the largest share of the global enzyme market. Applied in various industrial sectors, there is a preference for microbial proteases, considering both the ease of obtaining them and aspects of the diversity of processes in which they can be used. In this sense, there are continuous efforts to obtain these enzymes at lower costs. This work aimed to evaluate and optimize the production of proteases by Bacillus sp. CL18 in solid state cultivations (SSF) using agro-industrial byproducts as substrates, as well as to investigate potential applications of the protease recovered from the cultures. It was observed that the substrates provided to the microorganism, the moisturizing agent, the moisture and inoculum levels, as well as the presence of co-substrates and the cultivation temperature, markedly affected the enzyme yield. Among protease applications, the crude enzyme was capable of clotting milk, displayed compatibility with a commercial detergent, demonstrated the ability to remove blood stains from cotton fabric and to increase the stain-removing capacity of the detergents. The protease was also efficient in removing the silver-gelatin emulsion layer from photographic and X-ray films. Furthermore, it has been successfully used in the production of antioxidant protein hydrolysates from meat industry by-products. Therefore, the obtained results reinforce the relevance of biotechnology for the development of production processes aligned to sustainability, as well as the potential of non-commercial microbial enzymes in this scenario.