Recovery of acid proteases from fishery discards with aqueous micellar two-phase systems and their use for X-ray film recycling

Abstract

The continuous expansion of fish production results in increasing amounts of discards, i.e. viscera, skin and frame, whose inappropriate disposal causes environmental damage. Conversion of this waste into value-added products is one of the best alternatives to reduce the pollution problem. The feasibility of using aqueous micellar two-phase systems (AMTPS), formed by biodegradable Genapol X-080 (GX-080) and sodium citrate, to recover valued acid proteases from surubí (Pseudoplatystoma sp) fishery discards was evaluated for the first time. The effects of biomass load, pH and surfactant concentration on the extraction were analyzed using a two-level full factorial design. GX-080 concentration and biomass load were the most significant factors (p < 0.05). AMTPS formed by GX-080 4% w/w showed a successful performance for the recovering of 69% of AP from the crude extract in the surfactant-rich phase with a purification factor of 1.83. Regard to the storage stability, this extract conserved at least 89% of its proteolytic activity for 76 days at 0 °C. It also showed a notable hydrolyzing activity of the gelatin-silver coating of used X-ray films, thus opening new perspectives on the use of acid proteases for recycling purposes.