Laccase production by a new isolate of Irpex cf. latemarginatus using cocoa (Theobroma cacao) husk waste as substrate under solid state fermentation.

Authors

Isabela Souza Dos Santos, Ian David Araujo Cruz, Alice Ferreira-Silva, Abdias Batista da Silva Neto, Felipe Lima Santos, Ana Paula Trovatti Uetanabaro, Andréa Miura da Costa

Published in

Fungal biology. Volume 130. Issue 7. Pages 101860. Epub Sep 17, 2026.

Abstract

This study investigates the production and biochemical characterization of laccase from the white-rot fungus Irpex cf. latemarginatus using agro-industrial waste under solid-state fermentation. Cocoa husk waste was identified as the most suitable substrate, and sterile tap water as the optimal moisture-adjusting agent, yielding 4.4 U L^-1 of laccase activity. Box-Behnken optimization approach revealed that supplementation with 30% cocoa bean shell significantly enhanced enzyme production, resulting in a 12.5-fold increase and a maximum activity of approximately 55 U L^-1. The crude enzyme preparation with laccase activity exhibited maximum activity at pH 4.0 and 60 °C, while greater thermal stability was observed at pH 5.0 and 40 °C, retaining 55% of its initial activity after 4 h. Enzyme activity was enhanced by CaCl₂ (60.5% increase at 5 mM) and strongly inhibited by FeSO₄, SDS and β-mercaptoethanol. These findings expand current knowledge of laccase production within the underexplored genus Irpex and contribute to the evaluation of cocoa-derived residues as low-cost substrates for enzyme production.

PMID:
42875127
Bibliographic data and abstract were imported from PubMed on 15 Oct 2026.

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