Abstract:
Basidiocarp samples of white-rot fungi collected from 11 provinces in Thailand. Twenty isolates were grown to pure cultures. The collected fungi were identified into 6 genera and 19 species. The abilities to produce ligninolytic enzymes of these fungal isolates were tested using Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) containing 2,2-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulfonate (ABTS). All isolates were found positive for laccase. When quantitatively assayed for ligninolytic enzymes, Pycnoporus coccineus (Fr.) Bond. et Sing. KB4, P. coccineus PB1, and P. sanguineus (L. ex Fr.) Murr. MHS3 showed the highest laccase and manganese peroxidase activities in ranges of 3.61-2.65 and 0.13-0.03 U ml-1, respectively, while none of these 20 isolates produced lignin peroxidase. P. coccineus KB4 and P. coccineus PB1 produced laccase during late log phase to early stationary phase whereas P. sanguineus MHS3 produced the enzyme during early stationary phase. Among these Pycnoporus isolates, P. coccineus KB4 indicated the highest laccase activity and showed the best growth on a medium containing polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), including anthracene, phenanthrene, fluoranthene, pyrene, and benzo(a)pyrene. For optimum condition of laccase production, P. coccineus KB4 gave the best laccase yield (6.12±0.40 U ml-1) when grown at 28°C for 8 days in Basal Medium containing 2 percent (w/v) glucose and 2.5 percent (w/v) peptone with initial pH 5.0. The crude laccase and manganese peroxidase were subjected for enzyme characterization. The optimum pH and stability of laccase were shown at pH 3.5, whereas those of manganese peroxidase were shown at pH 5.0. Both laccase and manganese peroxidase had depicted optimum temperature and stability at room temperature (not higher than 28°C). FeSO4 and SDS inhibited laccase while ZnCl2 and EDTA inhibited manganese peroxidase. MnSO4 was found to induce activity of manganese peroxidase. When 5 PAHs (100 ppm each) were degraded by crude laccase from P. coccineus KB4 (1 U ml-1), it was found that 76.35 and 75.67 percent of pyrene and anthracene were degraded within 2 hours whereas 84.22 percent of fluoranthene were degraded within 24 hours. Benzo(a)pyrene and phenanthrene could be degraded by the enzyme more rapidly only when a mediator, 1 mM ABTS, was added to the reaction mixtures with 66.25, and 50.47 percent degradation after 24 hours.