Isolation of local strains of the yeast Metschnikowia for biocontrol and lipid production purposes

AbstractThe bioprospection of indigenous microorganism strains with biotechnological potential represents a prominent trend.Metschnikowia yeasts exhibit diverse capabilities, such as ethanol reduction in winemaking, biocontrol potential, and lipid production. In this work, localMetschnikowia strains were isolated from different fruits by their ability to produce pulcherrimic acid, a molecule that has been linked to biocontrol activity and that binds iron giving colored colonies. Five strains were selected, each from one of five distinct sources. All of them were identified asM. pulcherrima. All five were able inhibit other yeasts and oneM. pulcherrima, called M7, inhibited the growth ofAspergillus nidulans. The selected strains accumulated lipid bodies in stationary phase. Certain non-conventional yeasts likeHanseniaspora vineae are very sensitive to biomass drying, but cell extracts fromM. pulcherrima added to the growth media as a source of antioxidant lipids increased their tolerance to drying. All strains isolated showed good stress tolerance (particularly to heat) and have nutrient requirements similar to a commercialM. pulcherrima strain. In addition, the M7 strain had a good growth in sugarcane and beet molasses and behaved likeSaccharomyces cerevisiae in a growth medium derived from agricultural waste, a persimmon hydrolysate. Therefore, the isolation of local strains ofMetschnikowia able to grow in a variety of substrates is a good source of biocontrol agents.

Source: World Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology - February 9, 2024 Category: Microbiology Source Type: research