Author : Jyoti Verma 1
Date of Publication :20th June 2016
Abstract: The use of fossil fuels for energy and raw material in the past century has led to a wide spread environmental pollution. Among these pollutants are polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which are considered a potential health risk because of their possible carcinogenic and mutagenic activities. Bioremediation by microorganisms (Algae, Bacteria, Yeast and Fungi) is a promising option for the complete removal and destruction of PAHs contaminants in industrial waste. The purpose of our research was to enlarge the scope of PAH-degrading fungi and explore the endophytic fungi resource for bioremediation of PAHs. In view of biodegrading capability of various microorganisms, endophytic fungi were isolated from Cupressus torulosa D.Don. In this study, naphthalene, anthracene and phenanthrne was used as a model PAHs compound. Six strains of endophytic fungi isolated from C.torulosa D.Don were screened for degradation of these PAH (Napthalene, Phenanthrene and Anthracene). All these fungal endophytes show variation in their growth at various concentration of hydrocarbon. The endophytic fungus strain PCTS21 showed good degradation efficiency for PAHs. Strain PCTS21 were identified as Alternaria alternate on the basis of their morphotypic characteristics on PDA and LCB staining techniques as well as their molecular characterization by using 18S rDNA sequencing. A. alternate have shown a good growth on a mineral salt medium containing hydrocarbon as a carbon source at concentration of 200 ppm. Alternaria alternata could degrade the hydrocarbon by producing manganese dependent peroxide and polyphenol oxidase enzyme. This study suggests that endophytic fungi might be a novel and important resource for microorganisms that have PAHdegrading capabilities.
Reference :
-
- E.C. Okafor, K. Opuene, Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol., 4(2), 233–240, 2007,
- E.O. Fagbote, E.O. Olanipekun, Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol., 7(3), 561–570, 2010,
- S.H.Yu, L. Ke, Y.S. Wong, N.F.Y. Tam, Environ. Int., 31(2), 149–154, 2005,
- P. Arulazhagan, N. Vasudevan, I.T. Yeom, Int. J. Environ. Sci. Technol., 7(4), 639–652, 2010.
- Ni.Chadhain, S.M, Norman RS, Pesce K.V, Kukor J.J and Zylstra G.J. ―Microbial dioxygenase gene population shifts during polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon biodegradation. Appl,‖ Environ. Microbiol., 72: 4078-4087, 2006.
- Ruma R, Ray R, Chowdhury R, Bhattacharya P., ―Degradation of polyaromatic hydrocarbons by mixed culture isolated from oil contaminated soil—A bioprocess engineering study,‖ Indian Journal of Biotechnology, 6: 107-113, 2007.
- Bamforth, S. M. and Singleton, I. ―Bioremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons: current knowledge and future directions,‖ Journal of Chemical Technology and Biotechnology, 80(7), pp: 723-736, 2005.
- Natalia N.P., ―Involvement of the ligninolytic system of white-rot and litter-decomposing fungi in thedegradation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons,‖ Biotech Res Inter, 20, pp:1
- -21. 2, 2012