Influence of culture parameters on extracellular peroxidase activity and transformation of low-rank coal by Phanerochaete chrysosporium

The white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium can degrade macromolecules in low-rank coal, offering the potential for converting coal to specific products. We investigated the influence of temperature, veratryl alcohol and oxygen on transformation of a solubilised fraction of Morwell brown coal (SWC6 coal) and on the activity of lignin peroxidase and manganese (Mn) peroxidase in N-limited cultures of P. chrysosporium. After 20 days, the mass and A ₄₀₀ of SWC6 coal recovered from cultures containing 0.03% SWC6 coal, incubated at 28 °C under hyperbaric oxygen, were reduced by over 95%. The modal apparent molecular mass of the residuum was reduced by 50%. Addition of 2 mM veratryl alcohol had little effect on the transformation of SWC6 coal. The extent of transformation was reduced in cultures incubated at 37 °C or under air. In cultures under air, coal molecules were transiently polymerised. Decolourisation of SWC6 coal reflects conversion to products that cannot be recovered from the medium, not the destruction of chromophores within recoverable material. The activity of lignin peroxidase, measured in cultures free of SWC6 coal to avoid interference with the assay, correlates directly with the degradation of SWC6 coal as measured by the decline in A ₄₀₀. The data suggest that lignin peroxidase is more important than Mn peroxidase in converting SWC6 coal to products that are assimilated by cells. Received: 16 July 1997 / Received revision: 14 November 1997 / Accepted: 18 November 1997     

Transformation of macromolecules from a brown coal by lignin peroxidase

Indirect evidence has suggested that lignin peroxidase (LiP) of the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium catalyses oxidative decolourisation and depolymerisation of macromolecules from brown coal in vivo. In this study we show that LiP catalyses these transformations in vitro. Unmethylated (USC45 coal) and methylated (MWSC6 coal) fractions of solubilised macromolecules (M _r > 30 000) from a brown coal were treated with a semi-purified preparation of LiP isozymes from P. chrysosporium. Both coal fractions were decolourised, losing between 26% and 39% of their absorbance at both 280 nm and 400 nm, in reactions that had an absolute requirement for H₂O₂ and veratryl alcohol. Neither coal fraction was transformed when the enzyme was heat-inactivated or in the presence of the LiP inhibitor metavanadate. Gel-permeation chromatography showed that MWSC6 coal but not USC45 was depolymerised and yielded low-molecular-mass (M _r < 30 000) fragments. Nine monomeric products were identified by GC-MS. Received: 20 March 1998 / Received revision: 3 September 1998 / Accepted: 3 September 1998     

Extracellular oxidases and the transformation of solubilised low-rank coal by wood-rot fungi

The involvement of extracellular oxidases in biotransformation of low-rank coal was assessed by correlating the ability of nine white-rot and brown-rot fungi to alter macromolecular material in alkali-solubilised brown coal with the spectrum of oxidases they produce when grown on low-nitrogen medium. The coal fraction used was that soluble at 3.0?pH?6.0 (SWC6 coal). In 15-ml cultures, Gloeophyllum trabeum, Lentinus lepideus and Trametes versicolor produced little or no lignin peroxidase, manganese (Mn) peroxidase or laccase activity and caused no change to SWC6 coal. Ganoderma applanatum and Pycnoporus cinnabarinus also produced no detectable lignin or Mn peroxidases or laccase yet increased the absorbance at 400?nm of SWC6 coal. G. applanatum, which produced veratryl alcohol oxidase, also increased the modal apparent molecular mass. SWC6 coal exposed to Merulius tremellosus and Perenniporia tephropora, which secreted Mn peroxidases and laccase and Phanerochaete chrysosporium, which produced Mn and lignin peroxidases was polymerised but had unchanged or decreased absorbance. In the case of both P. chrysosporium and M. tremellosus, polymerisation of SWC6 coal was most extensive, leading to the formation of a complex insoluble in 100?mM NaOH. Rigidoporus ulmarius, which produced only laccase, both polymerised and reduced the A ₄₀₀ of SWC6 coal. P. chrysosporium, M. tremellosus and P. tephropora grown in 10-ml cultures produced a spectrum of oxidases similar to that in 15-ml cultures but, in each case, caused more extensive loss of A ₄₀₀, and P. chrysosporium depolymerised SWC6 coal. It is concluded that the extracellular oxidases of white-rot fungi can transform low-rank coal macromolecules and that increased oxygen availability in the shallower 10-ml cultures favours catabolism over polymerisation.     

Depolymerization of low-rank coal by extracellular fungal enzyme systems. III.In vitro depolymerization of coal humic acids by a crude preparation of manganese peroxidase from the white-rot fungus Nematoloma frowardii b19

The in vitro depolymerization of humic acids derived from German lignite (low-rank coal, brown coal) was studied using a manganese peroxidase preparation from the white-rot fungus Nematoloma frowardii b19. The H₂O₂ required was continuously generated by glucose oxidase. Mn peroxidase depolymerized high-molecular-mass humic acids by forming fulvic-acid-like compounds. The depolymerization process was accompanied by the decolorization of the dark-brown humic acid fraction soluble in alkaline solutions (decrease in absorbance at 450 nm) and by the yellowish coloring of the fraction of acid-soluble fulvic-acid-like compounds (increase in absorbance at 360 nm). The Mn peroxidase of N. frowardii b19 has been proved to be highly stable; even after an in vitro reaction time of 7 days in the presence of humic acids, less than 10% loss in total oxidizing activity was detectable. Received: 16 September 1996 / Received revision: 16 December 1996 / Accepted: 20 December 1996     

>Decolourisation and depolymerisation of solubilised low-rank coal by the white-rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Peroxidases secreted by the white-rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium can oxidise a wide range of recalcitrant compounds including lignin and aromatic xenobiotics. Since low-rank coals such as brown coal and lignite retain structural features of the parent lignin, we investigated the possibility that P. chrysosporium is capable of acting on a brown coal, with the production of useful low-molecular-mass compounds. In nitrogen-limiting liquid medium containing 0.03% solubilised Morwell brown coal, P. chrysosporium was found to convert about 85% of the coal after 16 days incubation to a form not recoverable by alkali-washing and acid-precipitation. The modal molecular mass of the residual coal macromolecules was reduced from the initial 65kDa to 32 kDa. Extensive bleaching of the coal coincided with the presence of extracellular lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP), although both LiP and MnP activity were lower in cultures containing coal. These reductions are accounted for by interference with the enzyme assays by solubilised coal and by binding of MnP to precipitated coal. LiP was about eight times more sensitive than MnP to inhibition by solubilised coal. In nitrogen-sufficient medium containing solubilised coal, neither coal modification nor LiP activity were observed, suggesting that LiP is an essential component of the bleaching process.     

Production of ligninolytic enzymes and synthetic lignin mineralization by the bird's nest fungus Cyathus stercoreus

Production of ligninolytic enzymes and degradation of ¹⁴C-ring labeled synthetic lignin by the white-rot fungus Cyathus stercoreus ATCC 36910 were determined under a variety of conditions. The highest mineralization rate for ¹⁴C dehydrogenative polymerizates (DHP; 38% ¹⁴CO₂ after 30 days) occurred with 1 mM ammonium tartrate as nitrogen source and 1% glucose as additional carbon source, but levels of extracellular laccase and manganese peroxidase (MnP) were low. In contrast, 10 mM ammonium tartrate with 1% glucose gave low mineralization rates (10% ¹⁴CO₂ after 30 days) but higher levels of laccase and manganese peroxidase. Lignin peroxidase was not produced by C. stercoreus under any of the studied conditions. Mn(II) at 11 ppm gave a higher rate of ¹⁴C DHP mineralization than 0.3 or 40 ppm, but the highest manganese peroxidase level was obtained with Mn(II) at 40 ppm. Cultivation in aerated static flasks gave rise to higher levels of both laccase and manganese peroxidase compared to the levels in shake cultures. 3,4-Dimethoxycinnamic acid at 500 μM concentration was the most effective inducer of laccase of those tested. The purified laccase was a monomeric glycoprotein having an apparent molecular mass of 70 kDa, as determined by calibrated gel filtration chromatography. The pH optimum and isoelectric point of the purified laccase were 4.8 and 3.5, respectively. The N-terminal amino acid sequence of C. stercoreus laccase showed close homology to the N-terminal sequences determined from other basidiomycete laccases. Information on C. stercoreus, whose habitat and physiological requirements for lignin degradation differ from many other white-rot fungi, expands the possibilities for industrial application of biological systems for lignin degradation and removal in biopulping and biobleaching processes. Received: 29 January 1999 / Received revision: 5 July 1999 / Accepted: 9 July 1999     

Glutathione-mediated mineralization of 14C-labeled 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene by manganese-dependent peroxidase H5 from the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium

Manganese-dependent peroxidase (MnP) H5 from the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium, in the presence of either Mn(II) (10 mM) or GSH (10 mM), was able to mineralize ¹⁴C-U-ring-labeled 2-amino-4,6-dinitrotoluene (2-A-4,6-DNT) up to 29% in 12 days. When both Mn(II) and GSH were present, the mineralization extent reached 82%. On the other hand, no significant mineralization was observed in the absence of both Mn(II) and GSH, suggesting the requirement of a mediator [either Mn(II) or GSH] for the degradation of 2-A-4,6-DNT by MnP. Using electron spin resonance (ESR) techniques, it was found that the glutathionyl free radical (GS^•) was produced through the oxidation of GSH by MnP in the presence as well as in the absence of Mn(II). GS^• was also generated through the direct oxidation of GSH by Mn(III). Our results strongly suggest the involvement of GS^• in the GSH-mediated mineralization of 2-A-4,6-DNT by MnP. Received: 18 February 2000 / Received revision: 24 May 2000 / Accepted: 26 May 2000     

Depolymerization of low-rank coal by extracellular fungal enzyme systems. II. The ligninolytic enzymes of the coal-humic-acid-depolymerizing fungus Nematoloma frowardii b19

The production of ligninolytic enzymes was studied in surface cultures of the South American white-rot fungus Nematoloma frowardii b19 and four other strains of this ecophysiological group (Clitocybula dusenii b11, Auricularia sp. m37a, wood isolates u39 and u45), which are able to depolymerize low-rank-coal-derived humic acids with the formation of fulvic-acid-like compounds. The fungi produced the three crucial enzymes of lignin degradation – lignin peroxidase, manganese peroxidase and laccase. In the case of N. frowardii b19, laccase and the two peroxidases could be stimulated by veratryl alcohol. Manganese (II) ions (Mn²⁺) caused a rapid increase of Mn peroxidase activity accompanied by the complete repression of lignin peroxidase. Under nitrogen-limited conditions the growth as well as the production of ligninolytic enzymes was partly repressed. During the depolymerization process of coal humic acids using solid agar media, gradients of ligninolytic enzyme activities toward 2,2′-azinobis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonate) and syringaldazine were detectable inside the agar medium. Received: 5 August 1996 / Received revision: 13 November 1996 / Accepted: 15 November 1996     

Secretion of Ligninolytic Enzymes and Mineralization of 14C-Ring-Labelled Synthetic Lignin by Three Phlebia tremellosa Strains

Production of ligninolytic enzymes by three strains of the white rot fungus Phlebia tremellosa (syn. Merulius tremellosus) was studied in bioreactor cultivation under nitrogen-limiting conditions. The Mn(II) concentration of the growth medium strongly affected the secretion patterns of lignin peroxidase and laccase. Two major lignin peroxidase isoenzymes were expressed in all strains. In addition, laccase and glyoxal oxidase were purified and characterized in one strain of P. tremellosa. In contrast, manganese peroxidase was not found in fast protein liquid chromatography profiles of extracellular proteins under either low (2.4 μM) or elevated (24 and 120 μM) Mn(II) concentrations. However, H₂O₂- and Mn-dependent phenol red-oxidizing activity was detected in cultures supplemented with higher Mn(II) levels. Mineralization rates of ¹⁴C-ring-labelled synthetic lignin (i.e., dehydrogenation polymerizate) by all strains under a low basal Mn(II) level were similar to those obtained for Phanerochaete chrysosporium and Phlebia radiata. A high manganese concentration repressed the evolution of ¹⁴CO₂ even when a chelating agent, sodium malonate, was included in the medium.     

Mn(II) Regulation of Lignin Peroxidases and Manganese-Dependent Peroxidases from Lignin-Degrading White Rot Fungi

Two families of peroxidases—lignin peroxidase (LiP) and manganese-dependent lignin peroxidase (MnP)—are formed by the lignin-degrading white rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium and other white rot fungi. Isoenzymes of these enzyme families carry out reactions important to the biodegradation of lignin. This research investigated the regulation of LiP and MnP production by Mn(II). In liquid culture, LiP titers varied as an inverse function of and MnP titers varied as a direct function of the Mn(II) concentration. The extracellular isoenzyme profiles differed radically at low and high Mn(II) levels, whereas other fermentation parameters, including extracellular protein concentrations, the glucose consumption rate, and the accumulation of cell dry weight, did not change significantly with the Mn(II) concentration. In the absence of Mn(II), extracellular LiP isoenzymes predominated, whereas in the presence of Mn(II), MnP isoenzymes were dominant. The release of ¹⁴CO₂ from ¹⁴C-labeled dehydrogenative polymerizate lignin was likewise affected by Mn(II). The rate of ¹⁴CO₂ release increased at low Mn(II) and decreased at high Mn(II) concentrations. This regulatory effect of Mn(II) occurred with five strains of P. chrysosporium, two other species of Phanerochaete, three species of Phlebia, Lentinula edodes, and Phellinus pini.     

Degradation of lignite (low-rank coal) by ligninolytic basidiomycetes and their manganese peroxidase system

Ligninolytic basidiomycetes (wood and leaf-litter-decaying fungi) have the ability to degrade low-rank coal (lignite). Extracellular manganese peroxidase is the crucial enzyme in the depolymerization process of both coal-derived humic substances and native coal. The depolymerization of coal by Mn peroxidase is catalysed via chelated Mn(III) acting as a diffusible mediator with a high redox potential and can be enhanced in the presence of additional mediating agents (e.g. glutathione). The depolymerization process results in the formation of a complex mixture of lower-molecular-mass fulvic-acid-like compounds. Experiments using a synthetic ¹⁴C-labeled humic acid demonstrated that the Mn peroxidase-catalyzed depolymerization of humic substances was accompanied by a substantial release of carbon dioxide (17%–50% of the initially added radioactivity was released as ¹⁴CO₂). Mn peroxidase was found to be a highly stable enzyme that remained active for several weeks under reaction conditions in a liquid reaction mixture and even persisted in sterile and native soil from an opencast mining area for some days. Received: 31 July 1998 / Received revision: 29 September 1998 / Accepted: 2 October 1998     

Degradation of the herbicide bentazon as related to enzyme production by Phanerochaete chrysosporium in two solid substrate fermentation systems

Enzyme production and degradation of the herbicide bentazon by Phanerochaete chrysosporium growing on straw (solid substrate fermentation, SSF) and the effect of nitrogen and the hydraulic retention time (HRT) were studied using a small bioreactor and batch cultures. The best degradation of bentazon was obtained in the low nitrogen treatments, indicating participation of the ligninolytic system of the fungus. The treatments that degraded bentazon also had manganese peroxidase (MnP) activity, which seemed to be necessary for degradation. Pure MnP (with Mn(II) and H₂O₂) did not oxidize bentazon. However, in the presence of MnP, Mn(II) and Tween 80, bentazon was slowly oxidized in a H₂O₂-independent reaction. Bentazon was a substrate of pure lignin peroxidase (LiP) and was oxidized significantly faster (22,000–29,000 times) as compared to the MnP-Tween 80 system. Although LiP was a better enzyme for bentazon oxidation in vitro, its role in the SSF systems remains unclear since it was detected only in treatments with high nitrogen and high HRT where no degradation of bentazon occurred. Inhibition of LiP activity may be due to phenols and extractives present in the straw.     

Lipid Peroxidation by the Manganese Peroxidase of Phanerochaete chrysosporium Is the Basis for Phenanthrene Oxidation by the Intact Fungus

The manganese peroxidase (MnP) of Phanerochaete chrysosporium supported Mn(II)-dependent, H₂O₂-independent lipid peroxidation, as shown by two findings: linolenic acid was peroxidized to give products that reacted with thiobarbituric acid, and linoleic acid was peroxidized to give hexanal. MnP also supported the slow oxidation of phenanthrene to 2,2′-diphenic acid in a reaction that required Mn(II), oxygen, and unsaturated lipids. Phenanthrene oxidation to diphenic acid by intact cultures of P. chrysosporium occurred to the same extent that oxidation in vitro did and was stimulated by Mn. These results support a role for MnP-mediated lipid peroxidation in phenanthrene oxidation by P. chrysosporium.     

Fungal biosolubilization of Rhenish brown coal monitored by Curie-point pyrolysis/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using tetraethylammonium hydroxide

Residues and coal fractions that remained after the biosolubilization of Rhenish brown coal by strains of Lentinula edodes and Trametes versicolor have been studied by Curie-point pyrolysis/gas chromatography/mass spectrometry using tetraethylammonium hydroxide (NEt₄OH) at 610 °C. To differentiate methyl derivatives of esters and ethers from free or bound hydroxyl and carboxyl groups NEt₄OH was used in the thermochemolysis experiments instead the commonly used tetramethylammonium hydroxide. A comparison of humic acid fractions before and after fungal attack shows considerable alteration of the soluble macromolecules of coal. Depending on the coal fraction studied and the fungi used, the assortment of fatty acid esters released during the pyrolysis varies significantly. Furthermore, dicarbonic acid ethyl diesters as well as ethyl derivatives of aromatic ethers and acids yield information about humic acid structure and the biosolubilization of brown coal. Variations in the mixture produced are possibly caused by differences in the pattern of extracellular enzymes secreted that attack the macromolecular structural elements of brown coal. Therefore pyrolysis of native and microbiologically altered geomacromolecules using NEt₄OH allows one to differentiate between free hydroxyl groups as well as substances that are attached to humic substances via ester or ether bridges, and their methylated counterparts. Received: 13 July 1998 / Received revision: 12 October 1998 / Accepted: 16 October 1998     

Biodegradation of azo and phthalocyanine dyes by Trametes versicolor and Bjerkandera adusta

Eighteen fungal strains, known for their ability to degrade lignocellulosic material or lignin derivatives, were screened for their potential to decolorize commercially used reactive textile dyes. Three azo dyes, Reactive Orange 96, Reactive Violet 5 and Reactive Black 5, and two phthalocyanine dyes, Reactive Blue 15 and Reactive Blue 38, were chosen as representatives of commercially used reactive dyes. From the 18 tested fungal strains only Bjerkandera adusta, Trametes versicolor and Phanerochaete chrysosporium were able to decolorize all the dyes tested. During degradation of the nickel-phthalocyanine complex, Reactive Blue 38, by B. adusta and T. versicolor respectively, the toxicity of this dye to Vibrio fischeri was significantly reduced. In the case of Reactive Violet 5, a far-reaching detoxification was achieved by treatment with B. adusta. Reactive Blue 38 and Reactive Violet 5 were decolorized by crude exoenzyme preparations from T. versicolor and B. adusta in a H₂O₂-dependent reaction. Specific activities of the exoenzyme preparations with the dyes were determined and compared to oxidation rates by commercial horseradish peroxidase. Received: 3 February 1997 / Received revision: 9 April 1997 / Accepted: 13 April 1997     

Nitrogen regulation of lignin peroxidase and manganese-dependent peroxidase production is independent of carbon and manganese regulation in Phanerochaete chrysosporium

In this study, a N-deregulated mutant (der8-5) of Phanerochaete chrysosporium was used as a tool to investigate the interrelationships between N, C, and Mn(II) regulation of LIP and MNP production in this organism. The results showed that LIP and MNP production by der8-5 was blocked in excess C medium but not in excess N medium. Furthermore, LIP and MNP production in this organism was subject to Mn(II) regulation regardless of the fact whether it is grown in low N medium or in high N medium. These and other results indicate that N regulation of LIP and MNP production in P. chrysosporium is independent of C and Mn(II) regulation.Abbreviations LIP lignin peroxidase - MNP manganese-dependent peroxidase - WT wild-type - der8-5 nitrogen-deregulated mutant     

Roles of apoplastic peroxidases, laccases, and lignification in the manganese tolerance of hyperaccumulator Phytolacca americana

We investigated the response of Mn-hyperaccumulator Phytolacca americana L. to manganese excess as well as the relationships between lignin deposition in the plant’s leaves, peroxidase and laccase activities in the leaf apoplast, and Mn toxicity. The exceptionally high tolerance of P. americana to Mn, both in solution and in tissue, was confirmed. No visible brown spot was observed in the leaves of plants treated with ≤10,000 μM Mn for 10 days. Mn treatment significantly increased lignin content and laccase activity in the apoplastic washing fluid (AWF) of P. americana leaves. In contrast, an increase in the Mn supply was paralleled by a significant decrease in the concentration of total phenolic compounds (TPCs) and in water-soluble guaiacol peroxidase (SPOD) activity in leaf AWF. This result suggested that an increase in lignin deposition decreased the concentration of apoplastic TPCs that are available to generate potentially toxic intermediates by acting as peroxidase substrates. Thus, data of the present study indicate that lignin formation by laccase activities reduces Mn toxicity and increases Mn tolerance of P. americana by depressing SPOD-mediated formation of toxic intermediates from TPCs.     

Reactive Oxygen Species and Induction of Lignin Peroxidase in Phanerochaete chrysosporium

We studied oxidative stress in lignin peroxidase (LIP)-producing cultures (cultures flushed with pure O₂) of Phanerochaete chrysosporium by comparing levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS), cumulative oxidative damage, and antioxidant enzymes with those found in non-LIP-producing cultures (cultures grown with free exchange of atmospheric air [control cultures]). A significant increase in the intracellular peroxide concentration and the degree of oxidative damage to macromolecules, e.g., DNA, lipids, and proteins, was observed when the fungus was exposed to pure O₂ gas. The specific activities of manganese superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione reductase, and glutathione peroxidase and the consumption of glutathione were all higher in cultures exposed to pure O₂ (oxygenated cultures) than in cultures grown with atmospheric air. Significantly higher gene expression of the LIP-H2 isozyme occurred in the oxygenated cultures. A hydroxyl radical scavenger, dimethyl sulfoxide (50 mM), added to the culture every 12 h, completely abolished LIP expression at the mRNA and protein levels. This effect was confirmed by in situ generation of hydroxyl radicals via the Fenton reaction, which significantly enhanced LIP expression. The level of intracellular cyclic AMP (cAMP) was correlated with the starvation conditions regardless of the oxygenation regimen applied, and similar cAMP levels were obtained at high O₂ concentrations and in cultures grown with atmospheric air. These results suggest that even though cAMP is a prerequisite for LIP expression, high levels of ROS, preferentially hydroxyl radicals, are required to trigger LIP synthesis. Thus, the induction of LIP expression by O₂ is at least partially mediated by the intracellular ROS.     

Biological bleaching of water-soluble coal macromolecules by a basidiomycete strain

There is need for new effective technologies to convert coal into environmentally acceptable liquid fuels. Thermochemical coal-conversion processes occur under extreme conditions. Thus there is a potential to use the biotransformation of coal as a cheap alternative method. A basidiomycete strain, which decomposes coal macromolecules, was isolated from humic-acid-rich soil of a lignite surface-mining region. The isolate showed the ability to decolorize liquid dark-brown media containing water-soluble coal-derived substances (humic acids). The presence of an easily available substrate is necessary for the biodegradation. The influence of different culture conditions on the bleaching effect was studied. Evidence for decomposition of water-soluble coal substances was provided by measuring the decrease of absorbance and the modification in the distribution of molecular masses. The degradation process resulted in a complete decolorization of the coal-derived humic acids and was also combined with massive alterations in their molecular structure. Solid-state #13C-NMR spectroscopy showed an increase of carboxylic groups as well as hydroxylated and methoxylated aliphatic groups, which indicates an oxidative attack. Enzymatic analysis showed the presence of a Mn peroxidase in the culture supernatant. Extracellular lignin peroxidase and laccase activities were not detectable. The production of the peroxidase was induced by addition of humic acids. But, in vitro, this enzyme did not cause a decolorization or reduction in molecular mass of the coal-derived humic acids. Received: 30 May 1996 / Received revision: 11 September 1996 / Accepted: 13 September 1996     

Effect of blending lignin biopolymer on the biodegradability of polyolefin plastics

The ability of the lignin-degrading microorganism Phanerochaete chrysosporium to attack polyethylene and polypropylene was investigated using a series of polymer blends containing 10, 20 and 30% lignin obtained from the waste product of pulp and paper industry. In the cultivation medium, lignin peroxidase and Mn(II)peroxidase activities were detected. Degradation was verified by quantitative u.v. spectrophotometric analysis of the cultivation medium and by liberation of CO₂ from the blends. Measurement of the tensile strength after 30-days cultivation showed that the mechanical properties of the polymer blends were decreased during the biodegradation process. The isolation of oligomer fractions by tetrahydrofuran (THF) extraction of biodegraded polymers and their characterization by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), u.v. and Fourier transmission infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy indicates that biotransformation of the lignin component during the cultivation process initiates partial biodegradation of the synthetic polymer matrix.