Abstract

DYE DECOLOURIZATION: LACCASES BY THE BEST FUSANT STRAIN OF TRAMETES HIRSUTA

Rasheeda Khanam*, Dr. R.Gyana Prasuna and A.V. Rajasekhar

Abstract

About 100,000 commercial dyes are manufactured by various industries worldwide including several varieties of dyes such as acidic and basic dyes [1]. These dyes are important chemical pollutants released into the environment especially from the textile industry. The enzymatic catalysis or hydrolysis could serve as a more environmentally benign alternative than the currently used chemical processes for the same or may be better result. In this work decolorization of the dyes has been used as a test for checking any improvement in the laccases production by the fusant strains of the test fungi Trametes hirsuta. The improved strain (fusant) of Trametes hirsuta was able to decolourize dye in 9 days of incubation at 37˚C. Among the dyes (0.02%W/V) used for decolourization test (malachite green, orange G, eriochrome black T, basic fucshin, congo red and crystal violet), the purified immobilized enzyme of Trametes hirsuta was able to decolourize Malachite green and crystal violet to the maximum extent in 15 days. The rate of decolourization activity was observed to be higher in free laccases when compared to the immobilized enzyme at optimum conditions (pH5.0 and 70°C).

Keywords: Dyes, decolourization, Laccases, Trametes hirsuta