Characterizing Fungal Decay of Beech Wood: Potential for Biotechnological Applications

Ehsan Bari,Javier Ribera,Mohammad Ali Tajick Ghanbary,Antonio Pizzi,Adya P Singh,Jeffrey J Morrell,Katie Ohno,Nural Yilgor

doi:10.3390/microorganisms9020247

Abstract

The biotechnological potential of nine decay fungi collected from stored beech logs at a pulp and paper factory yard in Northern Iran was investigated. Beech blocks exposed to the fungi in a laboratory decay test were used to study changes in cell wall chemistry using both wet chemistry and spectroscopic methods. Pleurotus ostreatus, P. pulmonarius, and Lentinus sajor-caju caused greater lignin breakdown compared to other white-rot fungi, which led to a 28% reduction in refining energy. Trametes versicolor caused the greatest glucan loss, while P. ostreatus and L. sajor-caju were associated with the lowest losses of this sugar. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analyses indicated that white-rot fungi caused greater lignin degradation in the cell walls via the oxidation aromatic rings, confirming the chemical analysis. The rate of cellulose and lignin degradation by the T. versicolor and Pleurotus species was high compared to the other decay fungi analyzed in this study. Based on the above information, we propose that, among the fungi tested, P. ostreatus (27.42% lignin loss and 1.58% cellulose loss) and L. sajor-caju (29.92% lignin loss and 5.95% cellulose loss) have the greatest potential for biopulping.

Highlights

IntroductionMicroorganisms play an increasingly important role in the utilization of lignocellulosic materials via bioremediation [2], biorefining [3,4], bioincising [5,6], bioengineering [7], biofuels [8], and biopulping [9]
Biotechnology is playing an increasingly important role in the field of biomaterials.Recent technical advancements in biomaterials, ranging from evaluation for biomaterial use to address environmental issues, continue to gain interest
The results of the molecular identification based on the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions of the collected fruiting bodies indicated that six isolates were classified as white-rot, one soft-rot, and one brown-rot fungi

Summary

Introduction

Microorganisms play an increasingly important role in the utilization of lignocellulosic materials via bioremediation [2], biorefining [3,4], bioincising [5,6], bioengineering [7], biofuels [8], and biopulping [9]. These organisms, especially filamentous fungi, have the potential to play key roles in reducing industrial pollution.

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