Remediation of Brewery Wastewater and Reuse for β-Glucans Production by Basidiomycete Fungi

This paper aims to assess the potential of basidiomycete fungi to mycoremediate brewery wastewater and generate a bioactive molecule (β-glucan) for industrial applications.

Six basidiomycete fungi, Ganoderma applanatum, Ganoderma lipsiense, Pleurotus ostreatus, Pycnoporus sanguineus, Lentinula edodes, and Oudemansiela canarii, were grown in submerged fermentation using brewery wastewater (BW). β-glucan production, biomass concentration, reducing sugar content, and pH were evaluated and the fungus with the highest β-glucan production was subjected to a kinetic study of β-glucan production.

Results showed that BW has important nutrients for fungi growth and all species had high biomass production. The highest production of β-glucans was for G. lipsiense (23.87%) and its kinetic study showed the highest production of β-glucans at 14 days and the greatest increase in biomass at 21 days. There was a correlation between the production of β-glucans and the consumption of BW substrate and a decrease in chemical oxygen demand (81% at 21 days), nitrate (< 3.00 mg L⁻¹), total phosphorus (66.326 mg L⁻¹), and total dissolved solids (634.1 mg L⁻¹).

This study highlighted a sustainable use of BW for its remediation besides fungal biomass production as a source of a high-value product for the biotechnology industry, opening prospects in the circular bioeconomy.