title: Influence of culture medium on fungal biomass composition and biosorption effectiveness.
abstract: Zygomycetes such as Cunninghamella elegans seem to be promising biosorbents for pollutants removal from wastewaters because of their particular cell wall characteristics. In this article the effect of ten culture media on C. elegans biomass composition was investigated by means of Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FTIR). Biomasses grown on starches from potatoes and cereals were characterised by high amount of chitin and polysaccharides, the glucose gave rise to a biomass rich in acidic polysaccharides and lipids. By contrast, biomasses grown on corn steep liquor were poor in acidic polysaccharides and, when N sources and micronutrients were added, rich in proteins. The lipid content of the biomass generally increased by halving nutrients. Biosorption yields of these biomasses towards four wastewater models were assessed in terms of colour, salts and toxicity reduction. The biomasses rich in proteins and acid polysaccharides were less effective in removing reactive and direct dyes, whereas those rich in cationic polysaccharides showed a higher affinity for these dyes. Both chromatography and FTIR analyses showed that biomasses cultured in halved C and N had the highest affinity for salts. The wastewaters detoxification was quite always achieved, with values often lower that the Italian legal threshold limit.
authors: Department of Plant Biology, University of Turin, Italy.
authors: Valeria
authors: V
authors: Tigini
authors: Valeria
authors: V
authors: Prigione
authors: Ilaria
authors: I
authors: Donelli
authors: Giuliano
authors: G
authors: Freddi
authors: Giovanna Cristina
authors: GC
authors: Varese
mesh_terms: D001673:Biodegradation, Environmental; D018533:Biomass; D003470:Culture Media / Q000378:metabolism*; D020093:Cunninghamella / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000378:metabolism*; D007220:Industrial Waste / Q000032:analysis; D012722:Sewage / Q000032:analysis / Q000382:microbiology; D014865:Waste Disposal, Fluid / Q000379:methods*; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D003470:Culture Media; D007220:Industrial Waste; D012722:Sewage; D014874:Water Pollutants, Chemical