Decolorization of Synthetic Dyes and Textile Effluents by Basidiomycetous Fungi

Decolorization of six synthetic dyes and two raw textile effluents (A and B) by eight basidiomycetous fungi was investigated. Among eight basidiomycetous fungi, fungal isolate RCK-1 decolorized textile effluent A maximally (42%), while fungal isolate RCK-3 was found to decolorize more of Congo Red (69%), Xylidine Ponceau 2R (100%), Poly R-478 (96%), Indigo Carmine (99%), Lissamine Green B (90%), Toluidine Blue (57%) and textile effluent B (54%), than the rest of fungi. Percentage decolorization of all synthetic dyes and textile effluents by the new fungal isolates RCK-1 and RCK-3 was higher compared to the most widely studied simultaneous lignin degrader, Phanerochaete chrysosporium and selective lignin degrader, Pycnoporus cinnabarinus, when tested in liquid cultures. A statistically significant positive correlation between laccase production and decolorization of dyes and effluents was obtained as compared to other ligninolytic enzymes (lignin peroxidase and manganese peroxidase) production. This showed the importance of the differential contribution of the different ligninolytic enzymes towards the decolorization of the synthetic dyes and textile effluents. The substantially higher ligninolytic enzyme production by the fungal isolates RCK-1 and RCK-3 also suggested their potential use for textile effluent treatment and other possible biotechnological applications.