We evaluated the biomass of twenty Amazonian fungal isolates as a potential source of mycelium-bound lipases with hydrolytic, synthetic or enantioselective activity for biocatalysis application. We compared the hydrolytic activity of three biomass treatments (delipidated, non-delipidated and cultivated in medium without inducer). Delipidated biomass showed better results in the hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl palmitate compared to the other two treatments for fifteen isolates. Delipidated biomass of six Aspergillus strains and UEA_115 strain showed a high synthesis activity of ethyl palmitate by transesterification in organic medium. Results were confirmed by spectrophotometry (410 nm) and gas chromatography. In this reaction, the isolate DPUA_1539 A. flavo-furcatis reached a maximum value of 668.5 ± 23.5 mU g-1. Enantioselective activity assays indicated that biomass-bound lipases from UEA_115 isolate (E = 3.58; ees = 7 ± 0) and in particular from the DPUA_1539 A. flavo-furcatis isolate (E = 24.15; ees = 91 ± 1) have the ability to discriminate enantiomers of the drug ibuprofen by ester synthesis, preferably with (R)-enantiomer. These results encourage further investigations of these fungi as potential lipase suppliers for biocatalytic processes such as biodiesel production and enantiopure drugs.

Com o objetivo de estudar comparativamente a exigência nutricional de plantas de alho provenientes de cultura de tecidos e multiplicadas de forma convencional, foi conduzido um experimento sob condições de campo, no Setor de Olericultura da Universidade Federal de Lavras (MG). O experimento foi montado em delineamento de blocos casualizados com quatro repetições e esquema de parcelas subdivididas no tempo. Os tratamentos foram constituídos por plantas provenientes de cultura de tecidos (cultura de meristemas) e multiplicadas de forma convencional e sete épocas de avaliação: 30, 50, 70, 90, 110, 130, e 150 dias após o plantio. Em cada época foram coletadas seis plantas/parcela, avaliado o peso da matéria seca da parte aérea e do bulbo e determinadas as quantidades acumuladas de N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Zn, Cu, Mn e Fe em cada parte. De maneira geral a absorção de nutrientes acompanhou o crescimento da planta, em ambas as formas de multiplicação, sendo que o acúmulo foi mais intenso entre 70 e 110 dias na parte aérea e 90 e 150 dias no bulbo. Diferenças significativas no acúmulo de nutrientes entre as formas de multiplicação foram verificadas somente na fase que coincidiu com o máximo desenvolvimento da parte aérea e do bulbo. As plantas multiplicadas por via convencional mostraram maior exigência por nitrogênio, em relação ao potássio, que plantas provenientes de cultura de tecidos. As plantas obtidas por cultura de tecidos acumularam quantidades significativamente maiores de nutrientes do que as obtidas de forma convencional e as diferenças percentuais na época da colheita foram da seguinte magnitude: Ca - 83,2%, K - 77,8%, S - 70,0%, Mg - 62,7%, P - 55,5%, N - 16,0%, Fe - 116,6%, Mn - 94,5%, Cu - 64,7%, Zn - 62,7%, B - 57,3%.

An experiment was conducted under field conditions with the objective of studying differences on nutrient uptake and dry matter accumulation, between garlic plants produced from cloves obtained by tissue culture and plants originated from cloves produced directly in the field. A randomized block design with four replications was used in the split-plot scheme. The treatments consisted of garlic plants obtained from tissue culture (meristem-tip culture) and from cloves produced in the field, evaluated 30, 50, 70, 90, 110, 130, and 150 days after planting. At each period, six plants/plot were collected and dry matter of both aerial part and bulb were evaluated. Accumulated amounts of N, P, K, Ca, Mg, S, B, Zn, Cu, Mn and Fe in the garlic plants were also determined. In general, the amount of nutrient uptake corresponded to the development of the plants in both propagation system. Nutrient uptake was more intense between 70 and 110 days in the aerial part of the plants, and 90 and 150 days in the bulb. Differences in nutrient uptake between these two multiplication systems were verified only at the maximum development of both aerial and bulb portions. Plants originated from field propagation required more nitrogen than potassium when compared to those previously propagated by tissue culture. Plants originated from tissue culture accumulated more nutrients than those obtained from cloves produced directty on the field. These differences in nutrient accumulation were observed at the harvesting time and were expressed as percentage: Ca - 83.2%, K - 77.8%, S - 70.0%, Mg - 62.7%, P - 55.5%, N - 16.0%, Fe - 116.6%, Mn - 94.5%, Cu - 64.7%, Zn - 62.7%, B - 57.3%.