VANILLIN PRODUCTION BY PHANEROCHAETE CHRYSOSPORIUM GROWN ON GREEN COCONUT AGRO-INDUSTRIAL HUSK IN SOLID STATE FERMENTATION

Agro-industrial residues have become an important source for the production of chemical compounds using biological pathways, contributing to preservation of the environment and making the overall process economically supportable. Vanillin is a very important aromatic compound for the food, beverage, and pharmaceutical industries. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the vanillin production by solid-state fermentation on green coconut residue using the basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium. Solid-state fermentation was carried on a support of green coconut husk treated in two different ways: sun-dried and mechanical-pressed. A Plackett-Burman experimental design was used to screen the compounds of liquid medium culture of the vanillin production. Nineteen variables were studied to optimize the culture conditions, and eleven of them were significant. The screening improved the production of vanillin from 44.4 g/g of support to 52.5 g/g of support in 24 hours of fermentation. Sun-dried coconut husk was found to be superior to mechanical-pressed coconut husk for production of vanillin. HPLC was used for the quantification of vanillin aroma.