Decolorization of water and oil-soluble azo dyes by <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus acidophilus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">Lactobacillus fermentum</Emphasis>

The capability of Lactobacillus acidophilus and Lactobacillus fermentum to degrade azo dyes was investigated. The bacteria were incubated under anaerobic conditions in the presence of 6 μg/ml Methyl Red, Ponceau BS, Orange G, Amaranth, Orange II, and Direct Blue 15; 5 μg/ml Sudan I and II; or 1.5 μg/ml Sudan III and IV in deMann–Rogosa–Sharpe broth at 37°C for 36 h, and reduction of the dyes was monitored. Both bacteria were capable of degrading all of the water-soluble azo dyes to some extent. They were also able to completely reduce the oil-soluble diazo dyes Sudan III and IV but were unable to reduce the oil-soluble monoazo dyes Sudan I and II to any significant degree in the concentrations studied. Growth of the bacteria was not significantly affected by the presence of the Sudan azo dyes. Metabolites of the bacterial degradation of Sudan III and IV were isolated and identified by liquid chromatography electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometry analyses and compared with authentic standards. Aniline and o-toluidine (2-methylaniline), both potentially carcinogenic aromatic amines, were metabolites of Sudan III and IV, respectively.