Improvement of DOPA-Melanin Production by Using Eco-Friendly and Inexpensive Substrates.

Fungal pigments, including melanin, are recognized as promising materials for biomedical, environmental, and technological applications. In previous studies, we have demonstrated that the DOPA-melanin produced by the MEL1 mutant of exhibits antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial activities without any cytotoxic or mutagenic effects, suggesting its potential use in pharmaceuticals. In order to increase the yield of this pigment and reduce the costs of its large-scale production, the present study aimed to evaluate agro-industrial by-products, sugarcane molasses, vinasse, and corn steep liquor as inexpensive substrates for fungal growth using experimental design methodology.

Solid-State Cultivation of Aspergillus niger-Trichoderma reesei from Sugarcane Bagasse with Vinasse in Bench Packed-Bed Column Bioreactor.

Solid-state cultivation (SSC) is microbial growth on solid supports under limited water conditions. Citric acid is a microbial aerobic metabolic product with several industrial applications, with production potential that can be obtained by SSF. Several wastes from agro-industries are used in SSF, such as sugarcane bagasse and vinasse.