Economic microbiological conversion of agroindustrial wastes to fungi chitosan

Abstract To investigate the simultaneous influence of different non-nutritional factors in production and physical-chemical characteristics of chitosan obtained by Syncephalastrum racemosum we used individually agroindustrial wastes as the only nutritional sources for fungus growth. The growth conditions were evaluated according to Factorial Design, 24 with three central points in order to determine the mainly factors for maximum production of microbiological chitosan in submerged culture. Syncephalastrum racemosum grown in corn steep liquor and yield up to 7.8 g chitosan/kg of substrate in the best condition by factorial design. The microbiological chitosan obtained has deacetilation degree 88.14%, crystallinity rate of 55.96%, mass decomposition process at 304.43 ºC, and low molecular weight. To fast production we performed a kinetic study and confirmed that at 36 h the chitosan production is higher and the physical-chemical characteristics were maintained. This research describes, for the first time, the factorial study of chitosan production by Syncephalastrum racemosum in agroindustrial wastes and its economic potential for commercialization.