Ação enzimática de fungos endofíticos associados a plantas do semiárido alagoano

Abstract

The northeastern semi-arid region, the third largest of its kind in South America, suffers from water scarcity exacerbated by human actions such as deforestation and the predatory use of the caatinga. In Alagoas, the climate varies from humid tropical in the east to semi-arid in the west, with low rainfall levels. In this context, endophytic fungi — microorganisms that live in plant tissues without causing apparent harm — emerge as a promising alternative for producing bioactive metabolites with pharmacological and industrial applications. The study aimed to isolate, identify, and evaluate the enzymatic activity of these fungi, associated with caatinga plants from Alagoas, collected at Fazenda Ribeiro in Piranhas-AL. The samples, collected during the rainy season, were processed in the Agricultural Microbiology Laboratory (CECA/UFAL). Four distinct isolates belonging to the genera Aspergillus (A1 and A2) and Penicillium (P1 and P2) were identified based on morphological characteristics. These fungi demonstrated the ability to produce extracellular enzymes, such as cellulase and amylase, with a highlight on isolate A2. The results reinforce the biotechnological potential of endophytic fungi from the Caatinga, indicating the need for the conservation of this biome as a source of sustainable and innovative resources for agribusiness and other areas of Biotechnology.