Decolourization of azo dyes and a dye industry effluent by a white rot fungus Thelephora sp

A white rot fungus Thelephora sp. was used for decolourization of azo dyes such as orange G (50 microM), congo red (50 microM), and amido black 10B (25 microM). Decolourization using the fungus was 33.3%, 97.1% and 98.8% for orange G, congo red and amido black 10B, respectively. An enzymatic dye decolourization study showed that a maximum of 19% orange G was removed by laccase at 15 U/ml whereas lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese dependent peroxidase (MnP) at the same concentration decolourized 13.5% and 10.8%, orange G, respectively. A maximum decolourization of 12.0% and 15.0% for congo red and amido black 10B, respectively, was recorded by laccase. A dye industry effluent was treated by the fungus in batch and continuous modes. A maximum decolourization of 61% was achieved on the third day in the batch mode and a maximum decolourization of 50% was obtained by the seventh day in the continuous mode. These results suggest that the batch mode of treatment using Thelephora sp. may be more effective than the continuous mode for colour removal from dye industry effluents.     

Improvement in stability of an immobilized fungal laccase

Summary A laccase of the basidiomyceteTrametes versicolor was immobilized on porous glass beads that were activated with 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane and glutaraldehyde. The support immobilized 100% of the enzyme, whereupon 90% of the original activity was retained. After immobilization, the enzyme was active in a wider pH and temperature range, and its heat stability and reuse were greatly improved compared to those of the free laccase. The immobilized enzyme was found reusable in treating different substrates, either recycled alone or in a sequential order.     

Specific immobilization of laccase onp-benzoquinone-activated supports

Summary A specific immobilization of laccase (EC 1.10.3.2) onto a ready-to-usep-benzoquinone-activated agarose support is described. The single-step procedure leads to a laccase protein coupling of I8% and an enzyme activity immobilization yield of 27%, while the retained specific activity of the immobilized enzyme was 150% of the specific activity of the free laccase. This peculiar result is thought to be related to the fact that during the process of support activation byp-benzoquinone, a significant amount of the hydroquinone by-product of the activation process is coupled to the support. These coupled derivatives constitute substrate (hydroquinone) analogues for which laccase exhibits a high affinity. Therefore, simultaneous affinity retention on the hydroquinone groups and covalent coupling on the p-benzoquinone groups allow the binding of the enzyme in an advantageous conformation which can generate this increase specific activity by immobilization. The entire process can be considered as an affinity immobilization. The immobilized enzyme is much more stable to the inhibitory action of chloride and azide ions, with a recovery of 100% of the activity, than the free laccase, with a recovery of 67% and 32%, respectively, after removal of the inhibitors by dialysis. The stability was 95% after storage for 14 months at 4° C.Abbreviations HQ hydroquinone - p-BQ p-benzoquinone - U enzyme units Part of the work was presented at the Satellite FEBS 1989 Symposium onBiochemical and biophysical approaches to the study of copper proteins, Camerino, Italy.     

Immobilization of Laccase by Alginate–Chitosan Microcapsules and its Use in Dye Decolorization

Laccase is a ligninolytic enzyme that is widespread in white-rot fungi. Alginate–chitosan microcapsules prepared by an emulsification–internal gelation technique were used to immobilize laccase. Parameters of the immobilization process were optimized. Under the optimal immobilization conditions (2% sodium alginate, 2% CaCl₂, 0.3% chitosan and 1:8 ratio by volume of enzyme to alginate), the loading efficiency and immobilized yield of immobilized laccase were 88.12% and 46.93%, respectively. Laccase stability was increased after immobilization. Both the free and immobilized laccase alone showed a very low decolorization efficiency when Alizarin Red was selected for dye decolorization test. When 0.1 mM 2,2′-azino-bis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) was added into the decolorization system, the decolorization efficiency increased significantly. Immobilized laccase retained 35.73% activity after three reaction cycles. The result demonstrated that immobilized laccase has potential application in dyestuff treatment.     

The treatment of chlorophenols with laccase immobilized on sol–gel-derived silica

Laccase, a so-called “blue-copper” oxidase, is able to oxidize a variety of organic compounds. Sol–gel derived silica glasses are frequently adopted as an immobilization method to improve the stability of enzymes and make them reusable. In this study, immobilization conditions were optimized to achieve improved embedding results. The thermal stability, reaction stability and storage stability were improved with the immobilized enzyme when compared to the free enzyme. 2,4-Dichlorophenol (DCP) and 2,4,6-trichlorophenol (TCP) were chosen as model compounds. The treatment of chlorophenols (CPs) by immobilized laccase demonstrated excellent removal and response stability. The affinity of TCP for immobilized laccase was higher than that of DCP. This finding leads to different removal efficiencies under variable conditions (reaction time, initial concentration, dosage of immobilized laccase and removal rate in mixed solution). By fitting the experimental data with the diffusion model of the degradation process, the degradation of CPs by immobilized laccase matches an intraparticle diffusion-controlled model.     

Immobilization of laccase by encapsulation in a sol-gel matrix and its characterization and use for the removal of estrogens

Laccase from Myceliophthora thermophila was immobilized by encapsulation in a sol-gel matrix based on methyltrimethoxysilane and tetramethoxysilane. The amount of laccase used for the preparation of the hydrogel was in the range 2.2-22 mg of protein/mL sol and the corresponding enzymatic activities were in the range 5.5-17.0 U/g biocatalyst. The kinetic parameters of the encapsulated laccase showed that the immobilized enzyme presented lower affinity for the substrate 2,2'-azinobis-(3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonate) (ABTS). However, the stability of laccase was significantly enhanced after immobilization; thus, both pH and thermal stability improved about 10-30% and tolerance to different inactivating agents (NaN(3) , ZnCl(2) , CoCl(2) , CaCl(2) , methanol, and acetone) was 20-40% higher. The reusability of the immobilized laccase was demonstrated in the oxidation of ABTS for several consecutive cycles, preserving 80% of the initial laccase activity after 10 cycles. The feasibility of the immobilized biocatalyst was tested for the continuous elimination of Acid Green 27 dye as a model compound in a packed-bed reactor (PBR). Removals of 70, 58, 57, and 55% were achieved after four consecutive cycles with limited adsorption on the support: only 10-15%. Finally, both batch stirred tank reactor (BSTR) operated in several cycles and PBR, containing the solid biocatalyst were applied for the treatment of a solution containing the endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs): estrone (E1), 17β-estradiol (E2), and 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2). Eliminations of EDCs in the BSTR were higher than 85% and the reusability of the biocatalyst for the degradation of those estrogens was demonstrated. In the continuous operation of the PBR, E1 was degraded by 55% and E2 and EE2 were removed up to 75 and 60%, at steady-state conditions. In addition, a 63% decrease in estrogenic activity was detected.     

Laccase immobilization on enzymatically functionalized polyamide 6,6 fibres

Polyamide matrices, such as membranes, gels and non-wovens, have been applied as supports for enzyme immobilization, although in literature the enzyme immobilization on woven nylon matrices is rarely reported. In this work, a protocol for a Trametes hirsuta laccase immobilization using woven polyamide 6,6 (nylon) was developed. A 2⁴ full factorial design was used to study the influence of pH, spacer (1,6-hexanediamine), enzyme and crosslinker concentration on the efficiency of immobilization. The factors enzyme dosage and spacer seem to have played a critical role in the immobilization of laccase onto nylon support. Under optimized working conditions (29 U mL⁻¹ of laccase, 10% of glutaraldehyde, pH = 5.5, with the presence of the spacer), the half-life time attained was about 78 h (18% higher than that of free enzyme), the protein retention was 30% and the immobilization yield was 2%. The immobilized laccase has potential for application in the continuous decolourization of textile effluents, where it can be applied into a membrane reactor.     

Azo dye decolorization by a laccase/mediator system in a membrane reactor: enzyme and mediator reusability

This paper presents the use of a membrane-integrated reactor system with recycling of laccase and mediator for azo dye decolorization. From initial screening of different laccases and mediators, Trametes versicolor laccase and syringaldehyde provided the best system for decolorization. Decolorization yields of 98, 88, 80 and 78% were obtained for Red FN-2BL, Red BWS, Remazol Blue RR and Blue 4BL, respectively. The reaction parameters were optimized and a membrane reactor was set up for dye decolorization in batch mode with reuse of the enzyme. Between 10 and 20 batches could be run with decolorization yields from 95 to 52% depending on the dye type. To study the possibility of reusing both enzyme and mediator, the reactor was run using 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine 1-oxyl (TEMPO) coupled to polyethylene glycol (PEG). Nine batches were run for the treatment of Remazol Blue RR, providing decolorization yields of 96-78%. Cost analysis of the processes showed that the costs of laccase/syringaldehyde or laccase/TEMPO were almost equal when running 20 batches, but the cost for the PEG-TEMPO was higher. However, the advantages associated with reuse of the mediator should motivate further development of the concept.     

Sequential reactors for the removal of endocrine disrupting chemicals by laccase immobilized onto fumed silica microparticles

Abstract

The main objective of this study is the evaluation of the capability of laccase from Myceliophthora thermophila immobilized on fumed silica microparticles (fsMP) for the removal of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in two enzymatic reactor configurations. This type of support can also be magnetized to allow the straightforward separation of the biocatalyst under a magnetic field. The support exhibited excellent biocompatibility with the enzyme, superior tolerance to pH and temperature as well as improved stability in comparison with the free enzyme, even in the presence of organic solvents and enzyme inhibitors. The technical feasibility of the removal of EDCs by immobilized laccase was assessed in two types of enzymatic reactors operated in sequential mode: a membrane reactor using fsMP-laccase and a reactor with magnetic separation using magnetized fsMP-laccase. The extent of transformation for the target compounds: bisphenol A (BPA) and 17β-estradiol (E2) was high and comparable to free laccase in both systems (up to 80%). The possibility of reusing the immobilized enzyme, especially for magnetized supports, offers an interesting approach in the development of enzyme based processes for the biotransformation of emerging pollutants.     

Comparative studies on immobilized laccase behaviour in packed-bed and batch reactors

Extracellular laccase produced by the wood-rotting fungus Cerrena unicolor was immobilized covalently via glutaraldehyde to cellulose-based carrier Granocel. Laccase was partially purified by membrane concentration and diafiltration followed by precipitation with acetone. Five-fold increase in the measured activity of immobilized enzyme was obtained when six times purer laccase was used for immobilization. For the best preparation, with very high activity of 2053 U per 1 mL of the carrier, thermal- and pH-stability, and activity profiles were determined. Experiments carried out in a batch reactor showed that k_cat/K_m for immobilized enzyme (0.65) is three times lower than the value obtained for the native laccase (2.19) whereas k_cat/K_m estimated from continuous reactor (1.50) is notably closer to that for the native enzyme. Continuous process probably reflects more precisely kinetics of the reaction accompanied by simultaneous product precipitation on the carrier’s surface. Operational stability of immobilized laccase was tested in continuous mode operation with ABTS, guaiacol and trichlorophenol as substrates and showed that packed-bed reactor is unprofitable system for laccase immobilized on Granocel carrier due to the high bed compaction. However, excellent stability of the preparation was noted under 20 successive runs in the well mixed tank reactor and better ability towards trichlorophenol biotransformation was observed in the case of immobilized laccase.     

Oxidation of aromatic compounds in organic solvents with laccase from Trametes versicolor

Summary Laccase purified from Trametes versicolor oxidizes 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (2,6-DMP) and syringaldazine in hydrophobic solvents presaturated with water, and in hydrophilic organic solvents provided that a sufficient amount of water is added. Ease of performance of the laccase test in organic solvents is improved after immobilization of the enzyme by entrapping in Sepharose CL-6B during enzyme filtration through the gel beads. The gel-enzyme association has been shown to be stable in water-presaturated solvents. Efficiency of the immobilized laccase in organic solvents containing 7% water was 10%–20% of that in potassium-citrate buffer. Immobilized laccase in organic solvents showed good stability and high tolerance to elevated temperatures.     

Laccase immobilization on enzymatically functionalized polyamide 6,6 fibres

Polyamide matrices, such as membranes, gels and non-wovens, have been applied as supports for enzyme immobilization, although in literature the enzyme immobilization on woven nylon matrices is rarely reported. In this work, a protocol for a Trametes hirsuta laccase immobilization using woven polyamide 6,6 (nylon) was developed. A 2⁴ full factorial design was used to study the influence of pH, spacer (1,6-hexanediamine), enzyme and crosslinker concentration on the efficiency of immobilization. The factors enzyme dosage and spacer seem to have played a critical role in the immobilization of laccase onto nylon support. Under optimized working conditions (29 U mL⁻¹ of laccase, 10% of glutaraldehyde, pH = 5.5, with the presence of the spacer), the half-life time attained was about 78 h (18% higher than that of free enzyme), the protein retention was 30% and the immobilization yield was 2%. The immobilized laccase has potential for application in the continuous decolourization of textile effluents, where it can be applied into a membrane reactor.     

Study on Remediation-improvement of 2,4-Dichlorophenol Contaminated Soil by Organic Fertilizer Immobilized Laccase

ABSTRACT

In this paper, laccase is immobilized by the cross-linking method, using organic fertilizer as a carrier and glutaraldehyde as a cross-linking agent. Here, the optimal conditions of laccase immobilization were explored and the optimal operating conditions and stabilities of free laccase and immobilized laccase were also studied. Then, free laccase and immobilized laccase were applied to the soil remediation. Meanwhile, the effect of soil improvement treated with immobilized laccase was studied through ecological evaluation. The results showed that the optimal conditions for laccase immobilization were: the volume fraction of glutaraldehyde was 5%, the amount of enzyme added was 15 mL, and the immobilization time was 6 h. Under the same conditions, thermal stability and acid-base stability of immobilized laccase were better than free laccase. Under the optimal conditions, using laccase to treat 2,4-dichlorophenol in the soil, it was found that the free laccase group degraded 44.4% within 5 days, while the immobilized laccase group degraded 58.6%. Although both the degradation trends and route are the same, the degradation effect of the latter is obviously better. Ecological evaluation showed that organic fertilizer carrier had an impact on soil physical and chemical properties and soil enzymes, playing a positive role in soil ecological security and improving the soil.     

Effect of onion-type multilamellar liposomes on Trametes versicolor laccase activity and stability

Trametes versicolor laccase was encapsulated into onion-type, lipid-based multilamellar vesicles (MLVs). When encapsulated, laccase was isolated from the assay medium but was still active once freed from its capsule. The encapsulation efficiency was larger than 65% at 25 °C and 37 °C and decreased to 55% by introducing 140 mM NaCl into the buffered medium (pH = 4.5). MLVs were shown to drastically improve both laccase stability and activity. At 25 °C, laccase activity was doubled in the presence of MLVs. At 37 °C in the salt-free medium, the half-life time of laccase was increased from 2hr 30-65 h without and with MLVs, respectively. This effect was even more pronounced in the salted medium where laccase activity was unchanged for 6 days in the presence of MLVs. These beneficial effects were attributed to the immobilization of laccase onto MLV surface. Laccase activity as well as stability was notably shown to be directly correlated to MLV stability.     

Stability of immobilized laccase on Luffa Cylindrica fibers and assessment of synthetic hormone degradation

In this work were studied the pH, thermal, and storage stability of free and immobilized laccases. Enzymes were produced by Pleurotus ostreatus on potato dextrose (PD) broth and potato dextrose modified (PDM) broth, and immobilized using Luffa cylindrica fibers as support. Both free and immobilized enzymes were assessed on their respective enzymatic activities and for 17α-ethinylestradiol (EE2) degradation. The optimum pH conditions concerning laccase activity ranged from 3.6 to 4.6, while temperature ranged between 30?°C and 50?°C for both free and immobilized enzyme. Laccase produced using PD broth presented greater storage stability and thermal stability than that of PDM. Best EE2 removals were of 79.22% and 75.00% for the free and immobilized enzymes, respectively. Removal rates were assessed during 8?h at pH 5. The removal of 17α-ethinylestradiol was stabilized in the fourth cycle of use. Results imply that immobilization promoted stability towards pH and temperature variations, although media played a decisive role in the enzymatic activity. Both free and immobilized laccases of P. ostreatus were able to degrade EE2, whereas immobilized laccase in PDM medium presented possible reuse applicability, albeit removal was not optimal when compared to other reports.     

Immobilization of laccase from Streptomyces psammoticus and its application in phenol removal using packed bed reactor

Laccase was produced from Streptomyces psammoticus under solid-state fermentation. The enzyme was partially purified by ammonium sulphate precipitation and was immobilized in alginate beads by entrapment method. Calcium alginate beads retained 42.5% laccase activity, while copper alginate beads proved a better support for laccase immobilization by retaining 61% of the activity. Phenol and colour removal from a phenol model solution was carried out using immobilized laccase. Batch experiments were performed using packed bed bioreactor, containing immobilized beads. Reusability of the immobilized matrix was studied for up to 8 successive runs, each run with duration of 6 h. The system removed 72% of the colour and 69.9% of total phenolics from the phenol model solution after the initial run. The immobilized system maintained 50% of its efficiency after eight successive runs. The degradation of phenolic compounds by immobilized laccase was evaluated and confirmed by Thin layer chromatography and nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.     

Dye decolorization by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Trametes hirsuta</Emphasis> immobilized into alginate beads

Summary The present paper studies the production of laccase by Trametes hirsuta immobilized into alginate beads in an airlift bioreactor. In order to enhance laccase production fresh ammonium chloride was added, which led to the production, of high laccase activities (around 1000 U l⁻¹). The bioreactor operated for 40 days without operational problems and the bioparticles maintained their shape throughout fermentation. Dye decolorization was performed at bioreactor scale operating in the batch mode. High decolorization percentages were obtained in a short time (96% for indigo carmine and 69% for phenol red in 24 h), indicating the suitability of this process for application to synthetic dye decolorization. On the other hand, in vitro decolorization of several industrial azo dyes by crude laccase produced in the above bioreactor was also performed. It was found that some of the dyes needed the addition of 1-hydroxybenzotriazole for their decolorization.     

Adsorptive Immobilization of a Pseudomonas Strain on Solid Carriers for Augmented Decolourization in a Chemostat Bioreactor

Pseudomonas GM3, a highly efficient strain in cleavage of azo bonds of synthetic dyes under anoxic conditions, was immobilized via adsorption on two types of carriers, porous glass beads and solid PVA particles. The cells were cultivated in a nutrient medium, adsorbed on sterile carriers, stabilized as biofilms in repeated batch cultures, and introduced into a chemostat activated sludge reactor for augmented decolourization. The microbial cells were quickly adsorbed and fixed on the PVA surface, compared to a slow and linear immobilization on the glass surface. The porous structure of glass beads provided shelter for the embedded cells, giving a high biomass loading or thick biofilm (13.3 mg VS ml^?1 carrier) in comparison with PVA particles (4.8 mg VS ml^?1 carrier), but the mass transfer of substrate in the biofilm became a significant limiting factor in the thicker biofilms (effectiveness factor η = 0.31). The microbial decolourization rate per volume of carriers was 0.15 and 0.17 mg dye ml^?1 of glass beads and PVA particles, respectively. In augmented decomposition of a recalcitrant azo dye (60 mg l^?1), the immobilized Pseudomonas cells in porous glass beads gave a stable decolourization efficiency (80 - 81%), but cells fixed on solid PVA particles showed an initial high colour removal of 90% which then declined to a stable removal efficiency of 81%. In both cases, the colour removal efficiency of the chemostat bioreactor was increased from < 10% by an activated sludge to ～80% by the augmented system.     

Stability and kinetic behavior of immobilized laccase from Myceliophthora thermophila in the presence of the ionic liquid 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium ethylsulfate

The use of ionic liquids (ILs) as reaction media for enzymatic reactions has increased their potential because they can improve enzyme activity and stability. Kinetic and stability properties of immobilized commercial laccase from Myceliophthora thermophila in the water‐soluble IL 1‐ethyl‐3‐methylimidazolium ethylsulfate ([emim][EtSO₄]) have been studied and compared with free laccase. Laccase immobilization was carried out by covalent binding on glyoxyl–agarose beads. The immobilization yield was 100%, and the activity was totally recovered. The Michaelis‐Menten model fitted well to the kinetic data of enzymatic oxidation of a model substrate in the presence of the IL [emim][EtSO₄]. When concentration of the IL was augmented, the values of V_max for free and immobilized laccases showed an increase and slight decrease, respectively. The laccase–glyoxyl–agarose derivative improved the laccase stability in comparison with the free laccase regarding the enzymatic inactivation in [emim][EtSO₄]. The stability of both free and immobilized laccase was slightly affected by small amounts of IL (<50%). A high concentration of the IL (75%) produced a large inactivation of free laccase. However, immobilization prevented deactivation beyond 50%. Free and immobilized laccase showed a first‐order thermal inactivation profile between 55 and 70°C in the presence of the IL [emim][EtSO₄]. Finally, thermal stability was scarcely affected by the presence of the IL. © 2014 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 30:790–796, 2014