People have always faced problems with waste and its disposal, which is particularly evident in industry, where huge quantities are produced. The biggest environmental and other problems are caused by waste from the agricultural, food, paper, textile industries, etc. Its accumulation pollutes the environment and causes various diseases in humans and animals. As a result, we are constantly searching for new ways to discard trash.
In my thesis, based on the literature, I presented one solution: the valorization of waste and the simultaneous production of enzymes with fungi, which has considerable potential for application in a wide variety of processes and industries. I described the most problematic industrial wastes, which are primarily composed of lignocellulose. Lignocellulosic materials are extremely difficult to completely degrade, primarily due to their lignin content. Consequently, the focus is mostly on lignin-cellulolytic enzymes (e.g., laccases, various peroxidases, cellulases, hemicellulases), as these offer a means for their degradation. In this work, the characteristics of filamentous fungi and white rot fungi are described, as these are the most suitable and most commonly used for the production of the aforementioned enzymes. Fermentation techniques and reactors typically used for the industrial production of enzymes with fungi are also presented in detail.
A literature review has shown that submerged fermentation is the technique most commonly used for fungal cultivation in industry, as it is well-established and easily scalable, and also allows for excellent control of various parameters. Despite its advantages, solid-state fermentation is also gaining ground for waste valorization, as it is particularly suitable for fungal species that do not thrive well under submerged conditions. Furthermore, based on the literature, ligninolytic enzymes have great potential for industrial use but require further research due to some of their limitations. Among other things, the fact that their mechanisms of action are not yet fully understood represents the greatest obstacle.
|