Isolation and characterization of Candida palmioleophila from poultry slaughterhouse wastewater: a first report from Brazil

Environmental fungi are increasingly recognized as emerging pathogens and potential agents for biotechnological applications. Candida palmioleophila, an ascomycete yeast originally isolated from soil, has demonstrated resistance to fluconazole and capacity for bioremediation of fats and pharmaceuticals. The Brazilian poultry industry produces large volumes of wastewater, which can serve as a reservoir for fungal species with pathogenic and environmental importance. In this study, we performed a fungal screening of wastewater from poultry slaughterhouses. Wastewater samples were collected from a poultry slaughterhouse in São José do Vale do Rio Preto, Rio de Janeiro. Fungal isolation was performed using Sabouraud Dextrose Agar supplemented with antibiotics. Only yeasts were obtained and identified by polyphasic taxonomy. Species identification of both isolates were confirmed by MALDI-TOF MS and ITS sequencing, and the antifungal susceptibility of the strains was evaluated using the Vitek2 system. Physicochemical parameters of the effluent were measured. Candida species were identified and their susceptibility profile described: C. palmioleophila (resistant to fluconazole) and C. parapsilosis (susceptible to all antifungals tested). Physicochemical analyses revealed moderate effluent characteristics, potentially favoring yeast survival. This study reports the first isolation of C. palmioleophila from poultry slaughterhouse wastewater in Brazil, providing phenotypic, proteomic, and molecular characterization of the isolate and expanding the knowledge of fungal diversity in poultry slaughterhouse wastewater. These findings highlight the value of a One Health perspective for monitoring fungal diversity in wastewater and identifying microorganisms of potential biotechnological interest.