SURFACTIN PRODUCTION BY Bacillus subtilis UFPEDA 438 FROM SUGARCANE MOLASSES AND EVALUATION OF ITS BIOLOGICAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDING IN SILICO AGAINST SARS-CoV-2
Biosurfactant, Iturin, Antioxidant activity, SARS-CoV-2, COVID-19
Lipopeptides are biosurfactants, substances with a high surfactant potential where each family corresponds to a group of isoforms that differs in the peptide's composition, the length of the lipid chain and the connection between them. Among them, fengycin, iturine and surfactin, lipopeptides with high surfactant and antibiotic potential, stand out. As a lipopeptide, surfactin is a set of isoforms, biosynthesized or engineered, where the relationship between their structures and properties helps choose and direct the product to the final application, that can range from the surface cleaning and disinfection industry to crude oil recovery, in addition to being the subject of studies in medical and pharmacological applications. In the context of COVID-19, the present study aims to produce surfactin and iturin through the cultivation of Bacillus subtilis UFPEDA 438, using sugarcane molasses as a substrate, as well as to evaluate his biological activity in vitro, including his antiviral potential through in silico analysis of the extract produced, against the 4 main target proteins of SARS-CoV 2. The results showed that 8 isoforms of surfactin and 2 of iturin were present in the samples, obtaining a maximum productivity of 148.548 ± 4.672 mg/L of surfactin. The extracts produced in both steps showed satisfactory levels and emulsification activities and promoted a reduction in the surface tension of water by up to 55.24%. Against free radicals (ROS), the samples also managed to block about 41.95% of them. Regarding the in silico evaluation, the greatest interaction of the studied biosurfactants was with the Spyke protein, which is crucial for the binding of the virus with the host human cell.