Production of bio-fungicide from sugarcane bagasse using pichia membranifaciens yeast and its activity against post-harvest pathogenic fungi

Abstract

Antagonistic yeast Pichia membranifaciens can produce killer toxins and hydrolytic enzymes to degrade pathogenic fungi cell walls. In this study, sugarcane bagasse was hydrolyzed and used as a low-cost carbon source to produce bio-fungicide using P. membranifaciens. In a growth medium obtained from bagasse hydrolysis containing 25 g/l sugar, with optimized amounts of nitrogen sources (2% (w/v)), NaCl and K2HPO4 (0.5% (w/v)) and in the presence of hydrophilic surfactant, Triton X100 (0.02% (w/v)), the yeast was able to produce 3782 mg/l bio-fungicide. The activity and toxicity of the produced bio-fungicide were tested against some post-harvest pathogenic fungi, including Aspergillus niger, Penicillium digitatum, and Phytophthora capsici. Minimum biocidal concentration (MBC) and minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) were determined to be 378.2 and 37.82 mg/l, respectively. According to the results, the produced bio-fungicide has the potential for preserving agricultural products in the warehouse.