A Sustainable Approach of Enzymatic Grafting on Eucalyptus globulus Wood by Laccase from the Newly Isolated White-Rot Basidiomycete Marasmiellus palmivorus VE111

Enzymatic grafting on eucalyptus wood with laccase from the basidiomycete Marasmiellus palmivorus VE111, recently isolated in Southern Brazil, was investigated. Three phenol and amine hydrophobic substrates and two mediator compounds were used to verify the potential of the enzyme for oxidative grafting. Laccase-assisted grafting of octyl and lauryl gallate was effectively achieved, presenting better results with mediator addition. In the water contact angle tests, the water drop kept 60% and 37% of its initial angle, with octyl gallate and lauryl gallate, respectively. Consequently, the enzymatic grafting of these compounds allowed an increase in the hydrophobicity of eucalyptus veneers (up to 10% and 5%, respectively), which is an interesting feature for the building and furniture industry to improve the durability and dimensional stability of wood. The results obtained in this work demonstrate the possibility of an environmentally friendly pathway to help solve a major challenge in wooden construction. In addition, the promising results of this work potentiate the use of a novel laccase, manufactured on-site, to be applied in sustainable processes in wood and furniture industries and other applications where hydrophobization of materials is desirable.