BIOTRANSFORMAÇÃO DE PRODUTOS E INGREDIENTES ALIMENTÍCIOS UTILIZANDO FUNGOS

Abstract

Fungi has demonstrated a great capacity and flexibility for a wide range of industrial applications, primarily due to their vast biodiversity. They can be applied in sectors ranging from healthcare, with the production of human insulin by the fungus Aspergillus niger, to the cleaning products industry, where the fungus Trichoderma reesei is used, as well as for food industry, where fungi serve as protein sources and substitutes for synthetic pigments. A notable example is the use of Monascus purpureus, which offers an alternative to synthetic dyes, often associated with health risks for humans. With the global population expected to reach 9 billion people by 2050, it is essential to find sustainable and nutritious food sources and new ingredients. A comprehensive literature review was carried out to identify the latest fungi applications in the food industry, with an emphasis on the use of various waste products for the production of fungus-based foods. They conducted a specific study with the fungus Monascus purpureus aimed at producing red pigment as a substitute for synthetic dyes. This study evaluated different carbon sources such as mannitol, glucose, and sucrose, and constant pH conditions, alternating phases in the liquid cultivation of this fungus for the production of red pigment from Monascus sp. The results indicated that mannitol, used as the sole carbon source, more effectively stimulated the extracellular red pigment production, achieving significant concentrations in less time, both in flask culture and bioreactors. Pigment production reached 25 AU in 60 hours of bioreactor cultivation under static pH conditions at 7.0, using mannitol as the sole carbon source. This demonstrates the great potential of mannitol as a carbon source to optimize the red pigment production.