Feasibility of the biodegradation of neutralized-caustic potato peel waste by aerobic-thermophilic fermentation was examined. Fermentation temperature, pH, rate of solids utilization, dissolved oxygen and total organic nitrogen were characterized with respect to the fermentation process. Examination of these parameters showed distinct characteristic behaviour, though the parameter magnitude varied between the trials. The naturally occurring flora of thermophilic microorganisms of the potato was sufficient as an inoculum, with their propagation creating the fermentation characteristics. The solids content of the potato waste was reduced by the thermophilic fermentation with a noticeable improvement in the nitrogen content in the remaining residue. Protein and amino acid analyses supported the feasibility of using the remaining residue as animal feed. Increases in the nitrogen content of the substrate was assumed to be due to the conversion of atmospheric nitrogen by nitrogen-fixing microorganisms within the fermentation. Microbial identification indicated that these organisms belonged to the species Bacillus coagulans. No strains within this species have been previously reported to fix atmospheric nitrogen. It was concluded that an aerobic-thermophilic fermentation can be utilized as a waste treatment process for caustic potato peel waste. Besides the numerous advantages of an aerobic-thermophilic fermentation, the validity for the utilization of this fermentation process in the treatment of potato peel waste is the near total disposal of the waste. / Land and Food Systems, Faculty of / Graduate

Biopolymers are polymers produced by certain microorganisms, that are readily degradable in the environment. These biodegradable plastics have the potential to be used as substitutes for conventional petroleum based plastic provided that the production costs can be greatly reduced. The high cost of biopolymer production is due to the cost of substrate which mainly is glucose. / The enzymatic hydrolysis of potato processing wastes was to produce glucose as a least expensive feedstock substrate for the production of biopolymers of polyhydroxybutirate (PHB) from the bacterium Alcaligenes eutrophus was studied. The enzymatic hydrolysis experiments were carried out using $ alpha$-amylase liquefaction enzymes from Aspergillus oryzae and barley-malt, and amyloglucosidase saccharification enzyme from Rhizopus. / The results indicated that the production of glucose from potato starch waste to be used as a substrate to produce biopolymers was both technically and economically feasible. A 10 to 90 ratio of barley-malt to potato starch waste gave the highest conversion of starch to glucose of 194.30 gL$ sp{-1}$ (96.56%), and the lowest liquefaction enzyme cost ($0.054) to hydrolyze one kg of potato starch waste. { it A. eutrophus /} produced PHB of 5.0 gL$ sp-1$ (76.9 % of biomass) using the glucose substrate generated from the potato starch waste.

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Made available in DSpace on 2017-07-21T18:53:16Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 genoveva.pdf: 386984 bytes, checksum: e0637e197abae91403267eddf66d5e0f (MD5) Previous issue date: 2006-08-21 / Many types of agroindustrial wastes may be employed as substrate for enzyme production. Glucoamylase is an enzyme used by the food industry to elaborate, for example, glucose syrup. The glucoamylase production by fermentation processes may be done by Aspergillus awamori, because this microorganism is considered safe to be used in food industries. In the solid estate fermentation (SSF), the microorganism is inoculated in a substrate where the activity of water allows the growth and cellular metabolism; however that doesn´t exceed the maximum water holding capacity of the solid substrate. In this work it was studied the possibility of employing agroindustrial wastes (potato, carrot processing redidues and mixes of these residues), for glucoamylase production by the Aspergillus awamori NRRL 3112. The experiments were mde varying the following conditions: moisture levels of 90, 92 e 98%, fermentation time and agitation; moisture levels of 30, 50, 70 and 90%; supplementation with sources of nitrogen (level of 2,20g (NH4)SO4/Kg of substrate, with and without pH correction) and phosphorous (levels of 3,8, 7,6 and 11,4g Na2HPO4/Kg of substrate); determination of the enzymatic activity in different buffers: pH 4,2, 0,1M citrate-phosphate buffer pH 4,2, 0,02M acetate buffer. In the tested conditions, the time of 72 hours was the most apropriate for the fermentation and production of glucoamylase, being obtained up to 725,00 U/mL when potato processing wastes used. The agitation, as tested, was not efficient in the increment of the enzymatic activity. There were not great differences in the results of enzymatic activity with the studied moisture levels (90, 92 and 98%). In the experiments with moisture levels of 30, 50, 70 and 90%, the highest enzymatic activities verified were of 65,98 with 50% moisture for the carrot processing waste, 141,38 U/mL with moisture of 30% and use of the potato processing waste and 55,77 U/mL when teh substrate was prepared by mixing 50% of each wastes with moisture of 70%. In the experiments with substrate supplmented with sources of phosphorous, the best results of enzymatic activity obtanied they were 318,33% U/mL, with addition of 0,19 g of Na2HPO4/Kg for the substrate with potato processing waste, 33,33 U/mL when the carrot processing waste was ued with addition of 0,19 g of Na2HPO4/Kg for the substrate; and 125 U/mL was obtained when the substrate was a mix of 50% of each waste with addition of 0,19 g of Na2HPO4/Kg for the substrate. When phosfhorous and nitrogen sources was added, the best results obtained were of 875 U/mL with potato waste, without pH correction, being added 0,38 g of Na2HPO4/Kg for the substrate and without addition of nitrogen, 141,66 U/mL, with carrot waste, being added 0,38 g of Na2HPO4/Kg for the substrate, without addition of nitrogen and without pHcorrection. In the experiments with different buffer solutions, best results of enzymatic activity were of 51,66, 401,66 and 176, 66 U/mL, with carrot, potato wastes and their mix, respectively, being used the pH 4,2, 0,1 M citrate-phosphate buffer. It can be concluded that the use of those wastes as sources for production of glucoamylase is technically viable, contributing with the process of value aggregation to sub-products of the agroindustrial processing and avoiding the discard of these in the nature. / RESUMO Muitos resíduos gerados na agroindústria podem ser utilizados como substrato para produção de enzimas. A amiloglucosidase (AMG) é uma enzima utilizada pela indústria de alimentos para a fabricação de xaropes de glucose. A produção de AMG por processos fermentativos pode ser feita com o uso do Aspergillus awamori, pelo fato de ser considerado um microrganismo seguro para a indústria alimentícia. Na fermentação em estado sólido (FES), o microorganismo é inoculado em um substrato onde a atividade de água assegure o crescimento e metabolismo celular e não excede à capacidade máxima de ligação de água com a matriz sólida. Neste trabalho foi estudada a possibilidade da utilização de resíduos agroindustriais (gerados a partir do processamento da batata, cenoura e mistura desses resíduos) para a produção da enzima amiloglucosidase (AMG) pelo microorganismo Aspergillus awamori NRRL 3112. Foram realizados ensaios variando as seguintes condições: teor de umidade de 90, 92 e 98%, relacionados ao tempo de fermentação e à agitação; teor de umidade de 30, 50, 70 e 90%; suplementação com fontes de nitrogênio (nível de 2,20 g(NH4)2SO4/Kg de meio, com e sem correção de pH) e fósforo (níveis de 3,8, 7,6 e 11,4 g Na2HPO4/Kg de meio); determinação da atividade enzimática em diferentes soluções tampão, citrato-fosfato 0,1M e pH 4,2 e tampão acetato 0,02M e pH 4,2. Dentro das condições empregadas, o tempo de 72 horas foi o mais adequado para a fermentação e produção de AMG, obtendo-se até 725,00 U/mL quando se utilizou resíduo do processamento de batata. A agitação, dentro dos níveis empregados, não se mostrou eficiente no incremento da atividade enzimática. Não houve grandes diferenças nos resultados de atividade enzimática em relação aos teores de umidade de 90, 92 e 98% utilizados. Nos ensaios com meios com teor de umidade de 30, 50, 70 e 90% as maiores atividades enzimáticas constatadas foram de 65,98 U/mL com emprego de umidade de 50% para o resíduo do processamento de cenoura, 141,38 U/mL com umidade de 30% na utilização do resíduo do processamento de batata e 55,77 U/mL onde se fez mistura de 50% de cada resíduos com umidade de 70%. Nos ensaios com meios suplementados apenas com fontes de fósforo, os melhores resultados de atividade enzimática obtidos foram 318,33 U/mL, com adição de 0,19 g de Na2HPO4/50g de meio para o resíduo do processamento de batata, 33,33U/mL quando se utilizou resíduo do processamento de cenoura com adição de 0,19 g de Na2HPO4/50g de meio, 125 U/mL foi obtido quando se fez a mistura de 50% de cada resíduo com adição de 0,19 g de Na2HPO4/50g de meio. Quando se adicionou fontes de fósforo e nitrogênio, os melhores resultados obtidos foram de 875 U/mL com resíduo de batata, sem correção de pH, adicionando-se 0,38 g de Na2HPO4/50g de meio, sem adição de fonte de nitrogênio, 141,66 U/mL com resíduo de cenoura adicionando-se 0,38g de Na2HPO4/50g de meio, sem adição de fonte de nitrogênio e sem correção de pH. Nos ensaios com diferentes soluções tampão obteve-se os melhores resultados de atividade enzimática, de 51,66, 401,66 e 176,66U/mL, com resíduos do processamento de cenoura, batata e mistura desses, respectivamente, utilizando-se o tampão citrato-fosfato 0,1M, pH 4,2. Pode-se concluir que a utilização desses resíduos como fonte para produção de AMG é tecnicamente viável, contribuindo com o processo de agregação de valor econômico a sub-produtos da agroindústria e evitando o descarte destes na natureza.