The effect of fungal fermentation in phenolics content in robusta coffee husk

Abstract

Coffee husk is an abundant by-product generated by the coffee industry and it can be used for the production of-value-added phenolic compounds. Currently, this residue has no commercial use due to the presence of anti-nutritional compounds and it is returned to the soil or burned. The aim of this study was to evaluate the content of phenolic compounds in Robusta coffee husk, the adequacy of this residue as substrate for fermentation processes, as well as evaluating the influence of fungal solid state fermentation to obtain phenolic compounds from this residue. In the present study, the use of different solvents for the extraction of polyphenols was evaluated and the content was found to be in the range of 96.9-159.5 mg of galic acid (GA)·g-1 substrate, depending on the solvent used. The best solvent was acetone, therefore it was selected for extraction. Studies were carried out to evaluate the effect of solid-state fermentation in the release of phenolic compounds, using the filamentous fungi Penicillium purpurogenum. The total phenolic content increased from 159.5 up to 243.2 mg GA·g-1 substrate as a result the solid-state fermentation.