Avaliação da produção de hidrolases de interesse industrial e substâncias bioativas por bactérias associadas aos frutos da Macaúba (Acrocomia aculeata (Jacq.) Lodd. ex Mart)

Abstract

The macaw (Acrocomia aculeata) is an arborescent palm, belonging to the family Arecaceae, widely distributed throughout tropical America. The species calls attention to the property of oleaginous fruits with potential for biodiesel production. However, knowledge about the cultivation and management in order to select quality fruits for oil extraction is still scarce. In association with this fact, there are no data in the literature about the microbiota associated with fruit, it is a major factor in the quality of the oil. It is known that micro-organisms in plants can produce a variety of exoenzymes that may influence the quality of the fruit and thus the oil. Besides the great potential of using this species for the production of biodiesel, countless uses for folk medicine have been reported, being used as a tonic, analgesic, diuretic and febrifuge. Given the great importance of this plant species, this study aimed to isolate and identify bacteria associated with macaw fruits with different periods of deposition on soil, and also to evaluate these isolates for their ability to produce exoenzymes of industrial interest, and bioactive substances against bacteria, yeasts, and fungi of clinical interest and a phytopathogen. For this study, six collections were made in Casa Branca - Brumadinho municipality, Minas Gerais. In the first collection, the fruits were collected in the bunch, and in the subsequent collections, the fruits were collected in every 7 days of deposition on soil, until the maximum of 35 days of deposition. The fruit epicarp and mesocarp were processed to isolated epiphytic, peel endophytic, and pulp associated bacteria. We obtained 94 isolates of bacteria, selected according to their macro morphological characteristics and identified through sequencing of 16S rDNA. Of the 94 bacteria, 43.62% showed amylase production, 9.57% lipase, 27.66% cellulase, 31.91% protease, 53.19% pectinase and no bacteria produced xylanases. Of the 94 isolates tested for bioactive substances production, 22% had antagonistic activity against Bacillus cereus, 14.9% against Staphylococcus aureus, 12.8% against Escherichia coli, 7.5% against Candida albicans, 9.5% against C. krusei and 8.5% against C. tropicalis. None of the isolates showed activity for Aspergilus fumigatus, Fusarium solani and Penicillium oxalicum. This work contributed to the knowledge of bacteria producing exoenzymes demonstrating the potential of these isolates for industrial application. This work contributed to the knowledge of bacteria producing exoenzymes demonstrating the potential of these isolates for industrial application. Furthermore, the production of bioactive substances can provide support for the development of new drugs.