Lipase Production by Endophytic Fungus Cercospora kikuchii: Stability of Enzymatic Activity after Spray Drying in the Presence of Carbohydrates

Abstract

The present work deals with improving the production and stabilization of lipases from Cercospora kikuchii. Maximum enzyme production (9.384 U/ml) was obtained after 6 days in a medium supplemented with 2% soybean oil. The lipases were spray dried with different adjuvants, and their stability was studied. The residual enzyme activity after drying with 10% (w/v) of lactose, β-cyclodextrin, maltodextrin, mannitol, gum arabic, and trehalose ranged from 63 to 100%. The enzyme activity was lost in the absence of adjuvants. Most of the adjuvants used kept up at least 50% of the enzymatic activity at 5°C and 40% at 25°C after 8 months. The lipase dried with 10% of β-cyclodextrin retained 72% of activity at 5°C. Lipases were separated by butyl-sepharose column into 4 pools, and pool 4 was partially purified (33.1%; 269.5 U/mg protein). This pool was also spray dried in maltodextrin DE10, and it maintained 100% of activity.

Keywords:

• Cercospora kikuchii
• Drying adjuvants
• Enzyme stabilization
• Lipase
• Spray drying

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

This work was supported by Fundação de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP, biota process numbers: 04/07935-6 and 08/52732-7). M.A.N (Proc. 06/50955-3) and T.A.C.S. (Proc. 08/52732-7) received fellowship from FAPESP.