Degradation and Transformation of Aquatic Humic Substances by Laccase-producing Fungi Cladosporium cladosporioides and Polyporus versicolor

A phenoloxidase-producing fungus – Cladosporium cladosporioides – was isolated from water of a bog lake. At high concentrations of carbon (333 mM) and nitrogen (12 mM), the fungus demonstrated the formation of a laccase and a high ligninolytic activity. After addition of riverine or groundwater humic substances into culture media (ca. 1 mg mL^–1), the fungus showed the ability of degrading (utilizing) of about 60% of these substances. However, the exact quantification of the degree of degradation was difficult because of adsorption of humic matter on fungal mycelium. Reisolated humic substances were lower in aromatic and higher in aliphatic structures. A crude enzyme from the C. cladosporioides culture showed only low activity in decolorizing humic substances, whereas decolorization up to 50% was observed when using a laccase preparation from Polyporus versicolor, and especially in the presence of a redox mediator.     

Feasibility of Solid‐State Fermentation Using Spent Fungi‐Substrate in the Biodegradation of PAHs

The ability of Trametes versicolor and Pleurotus ostreatus to grow on agroindustrial wastes, such as orange peels, and to degrade model polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in solid‐state fermentation (SSF) was evaluated. Best results in laccase production were obtained with T. versicolor cultures (3000 U L^?1), however, P. ostreatus (2700 U L^?1) showed higher ability to degrade the tested PAHs phenanthrene (PHE) and pyrene (PYR). Moreover, orange peels can be used as biofertilizer and the oxidative ability of the spent fungus and substrate obtained in SSF can be used in the remediation of polluted soil. The results obtained confirm this hypothesis. Thus, the decontamination achieved in soils polluted with PYR was around 43% (after 30 days) by addition of spent fungus and substrate from SSF.