Dual purpose of ligninolytic- basidiomycetes: mycoremediation of bioethanol distillation vinasse coupled to sustainable bio-based compounds production

Abstract

Agro-industrial wastes consist of various agriculture and food industry residues produced worldwide at an estimated rate of a thousand million tons per year. Vinasse is the main wastewater resulting from sugarcane bioethanol production. This agro-industrial effluent is highly polluting and, when discarded with no previous treatment, may cause nutrient imbalance and salt saturation in the soil as well as a reduction in photosynthesis in aquatic ecosystems. Environmentally safe vinasse disposal requires reliable mechanisms, preferably involving the production of goods or services. Various cleanup technologies have been implemented and different microorganisms are being studied as viable remediation agents. Ligninolytic basidiomycetes, which have the ability to store, release and mineralize a wide variety of toxic materials and compounds, are a source of valuable biochemicals for agricultural and industrial uses. This review discusses the use of filamentous fungi in the bioremediation of distillery vinasses, their main characteristics, the enzymes implicated and the transformation processes involved in the production of several high-value bio-based compounds.