Seaweeds are important organisms in marine ecosystems, are included on blue
biorefinery category and they are rich in different polysaccharides, that can induce enzyme
production by solid-state fermentation (SSF). Ulva rigida was used as substrate in SSF to
produce cellulases and xylanases and to increase its protein content. The SSF were
performed with previously washed and with unwashed seaweed by Aspergillus ibericus.
Xylanase and cellulase activities were higher in fermented unwashed seaweed,
correspondingly 359.8±6.1 U/g dry substrate and 59.9±2.4 U/g, respectively. In fermented
washed U. rigida, these values achieved 212.4±17.7 U/g and 43.6±3.7 U/g, respectively.
-glucosidase activity was similar in washed seaweed (6.94±0.21 U/g) and in unwashed
seaweed (6.87±0.18 U/g). After SSF, protein content of unwashed seaweed was
increased by 14%. Unwashed U. rigida resulted in better enzymatic activities, being a
promising option to produce these commercially-valued enzymes.Helena Fernandes was supported by PhD grant SFRH/BD/131219/2017, funded by the
Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology (FCT). José M. Salgado was
supported by grant CEB/N2020 – INV/01/2016 from Project “BIOTECNORTE -
Underpinning Biotechnology to foster the north of Portugal bioeconomy” (NORTE-01-
0145-FEDER-000004). This study was partially supported by FCT under the scope of the
strategic funding of UID/BIO/04469/2013 unit and COMPETE 2020 (POCI-01-0145-
FEDER-006684) and BioTec-Norte operation (NORTE-01-0145-FEDER-000004) funded
by the European Regional Development Fund under the scope of Norte2020 - Programa
Operacional Regional do Norte and by the project SPO3 (Development of innovative
sustainable protein and omega-3 rich feedstuffs for aquafeeds, from local agro-industrial
by-products reference POCI-01-0145-FEDER-030377 funded by FEDER-Operational
Programme Competitiveness and Internationalization and FCT.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio
