Potential of Stachybotrys microspora as a source of haloenzymes

This work aims to characterize the extracellular proteases, α-amylases, endoglucanases, and lipases produced simultaneously by the A19 strain from Stachybotrys microspora, and to determine their cleaning power as laundry detergent additives. Firstly, the enzymes were produced by this fungus in a medium containing wheat bran as a substrate. We then characterized haloenzymatic activities of proteases, amylases, endoglucanases, and lipases, which showed maximal activity at 1 M NaCl within the tested range (0-3 M). Except for proteases, these haloenzymes retained at least 80% of activity at 3 M NaCl. Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of these enzymes on the effectiveness of washing with running water.The addition of enzyme cocktails, in solid and liquid forms, from the A19 strain to the detergent bases significantly increases cleaning performance (p-value < 0.01). A comparison of the detergent efficiency of various formulations containing our halophilic enzymes with that of commercial ones revealed similar improvement in the removal of a range of stain types. Finally, this study highlights the diversity of halo-enzymes coproduced by the same fungi and demonstrates the biotechnological potential of these metabolites.