Investigação de leveduras de ocorrência ambiental com o potencial metabólico de consumo do glicerol bruto derivado da produção de biodiesel e caracterização dos produtos gerados

Abstract

The raw glycerol derived from the biodiesel production is considered an industrial waste that has raised great concerns in the biofuels industry, mainly due to its low commercial value, its reduced assimilation after purification as well as to the high costs associated with its disposal. In this context, the use of microorganisms on biodegradation processes and bioconversion of raw glycerol to molecules with high added-values tends to enhance the biodiesel production chain, and minimize environmental impacts associated with its disposal, often done improperly. Thus, the goal of this work was to investigate and identify, in different environmental samples, the presence of yeasts capable of using raw glycerol as sole carbon source, and investigate in a preliminary manner their eventual metabolic products. Fifty-seven yeasts derived from the regional biodiversity were evaluated and five of them were selected as metabolically able for raw glycerol consumption. The selected isolates were cultured under different conditions of temperature, glycerol concentration and oxygenation in order to establish the best growing conditions. In order to investigate eventual products generated from the raw glycerol assimilation, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) analyses and emulsification assays were performed. As results, this work presents the first report of raw glycerol consumption by Zygowilliopsis californica, Pichia fermentans, Candida melibiosica and by a probable new yeast species of Candida genus (Candida sp.) isolated in this work. Still, this is the first report of this metabolic feature for a species of Zygowilliopsis genus. Moreover, Z. californica and Candida sp. presented some evidence to bear the metabolic potential to produce molecules of industrial interest from raw glycerol. These data may contribute for future strategies that aim the value increase of the biodiesel production chain.