The selection of cultivation techniques for the production of fungal enzymes on winery solid waste

Abstract

The wine industry generates significant amounts of waste, the management and disposal of which represents a major environmental problem due to its seasonal character and polluting characteristics. Solid waste generated in wineries in Serbia is mostly used as a biological fertilizer. The production of fungal enzymes could be a potential solution for the valorization of this waste. Fungal enzymes are used in numerous industries, including the detergent industry. The aim of this study was to select the most successful cultivation technique for the production of fungal enzymes by cultivating a wild-type isolate of Trichoderma sp. on media that contained solid waste generated in the winery by processing black and white grapes. The success of the bioprocess was evaluated based on the protein content and proteolytic, lipolytic, amylolytic, and cellulolytic activity of the obtained crude enzyme preparations at the temperature conditions of detergent application, i.e. at 30 °C and 60 °C. The submerged cultivation technique with external mixing and spontaneous aeration proved to be the cultivation technique that obtained the highest protein content in the crude enzyme preparations. The submerged cultivation technique with intensive aeration proved to be the most appropriate for achieving the highest enzyme activity of the crude enzyme preparations. On the other side, the solid-state cultivation technique with intensive aeration resulted in the lowest protein content and the lowest enzymatic activity of crude enzyme preparations. Liquid medium cultivation techniques have proven to be more successful when compared to solid-state techniques.