Decolorization of reactive dyes and textile dyeing effluent by Pleurotus sajor-caju

Abstract

Eleven strains of white-rot fungi were evaluated on their ability to decolorize reactive blue 19 (RB19) and reactive blue 171 (RB171) dyes on agar plates. Pleurotus sajor-caju (Fr.) Sing., Lentinus squarrosulus Mont., and Coprinus fimetarus (L) Fr. showed high decolorization of both RB19 and RB171. In submerged culture, maximum decolorization of 150 mg/l of RB19 and 25 mg/l of RB171 by P. sajor-caju (Fr.) Sing. was observed at 93.31% and 57.53% respectively. Interestingly, P. sajor-caju (Fr.) Sing., one kind of edible mushroom, showed the ability to decolorize mixed reactive blue dyes at a concentration of 50 mg/l by 46.15% at a growth period of eleven days. In addition, P. sajor-caju (Fr.) Sing. produced a high level of extracellular lignin peroxidase (LiP) (222.79 ± 11.23 mU/mg of protein). LiP enzymes play an important role in the biodegradation of reactive dyes and LiP activity is induced by reactive dyes. Fungal biomass of P. sajor-caju (Fr.) Sing. had the ability to decolorize textile dyeing effluent under aerated conditions by 58.42% five days after fungal cell mass inoculation. This finding suggests that P. sajor-caju (Fr.) Sing. has potential for application in the biotreatment of synthetic dyes in industrial waste water. © IJIB, All rights reserved.