Abstract
The humid tropical environment provides an ideal place for developing a high diversity of plants; this is why it is an interesting site for the enzymatic bioprospecting of fungi that are responsible for the recycling of organic matter in an efficient and accelerated way and whose enzymes could have multiple biotechnological applications. For this study, 1250 isolates of macroscopic and microscopic fungal morphotypes were collected from soil, leaf litter, and wood. One hundred and fifty strains (50 from each source) were selected for the enzymatic screening. From the first phase, 51 strains with positive activity for laccase, protease, amylase, xylanase, and lipase enzymes were evaluated, of which 20 were isolated from leaf litter, 18 from the soil, and 13 from wood. The 10 best strains were selected for the enzymatic quantification, considering the potency index and the production of at least two enzymes. High laccase activity was detected for Trametes villosa FE35 and Marasmius sp. CE25 (1179 and 710.66 U/mg, respectively), while Daedalea flavida PE47 showed laccase (521.85 U/mg) and protease activities (80.66 U/mg). Fusarium spp. PH79 and FS400 strains had amylase (14.0 U/mg, 49.23 U/mg) and xylanase activities (40.05 U/mg, 36.03 U/mg) respectively. These results confirm the enzymatic potential of fungi that inhabit little-explored tropical rainforests with applications in industry.
Highlights
IntroductionThe geographical position of Mexico (Nearctic and Neotropical) favors a mountainous tropical climate with a great variety of ecosystems and diversity of species, occupying fifth place within the group of megadiverse countries in the world, hosting around 12% of the planet’s biodiversity [1,2]
The abundant vegetation and climatic conditions that predominate in tropical rainforests make the development of fungi with particular characteristics possible, such as the catalytic properties and stability of their extracellular enzymes, giving continuity in the recycling of nutrients
Of 150 fungal strains from three sources collected in the humid tropics of southeastern Mexico, 51 strains exhibited laccase, protease, xylanase, amylase, or/and lipase enzymatic activity
Summary
The geographical position of Mexico (Nearctic and Neotropical) favors a mountainous tropical climate with a great variety of ecosystems and diversity of species, occupying fifth place within the group of megadiverse countries in the world, hosting around 12% of the planet’s biodiversity [1,2]. The humid tropics of Mexico are characterized by typical high jungle perennial vegetation and environmental conditions with high temperatures and annual rainfall, which generates an accelerated and continuous environment in the recycling of nutrients, decomposition of organic matter, and competition for substrates [3,4]. All of these peculiarities make these environments optimal for developing a high diversity of fungi; in this area, it is possible to find fungi that produce hydrolytic and lignin-degrading enzymes with biotechnological potential that are still unexplored [5]. Fungal enzymes have a more significant advantage over those derived from plants or animals due to their easy handling, rapid production in low-cost media, higher yields, and catalytic activity [16]
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