Degradation pathway of cephalosporin antibiotics by in vitro cultures of Lentinula edodes and Imleria badia

Bioremediation is a promising method to degrade active pharmaceutical ingredients with additional safety compared to conventional methods. This study provides the basis for a new, practical procedure to remove antibiotics contamination, particularly cephalosporins, spread on environmental matrix. For the experiment the fruiting bodies and their mycelia from liquid in vitro cultures of two edible species of mushrooms (Imleria badia and Lentinula edodes) were choosing because of their unique nutritional and medicinal properties and enzymatic content. The study was conducted at different time intervals by testing the possibility and speed of antibiotic mycoremediation using cefuroxime axetil in different doses. The identification of the degradation products in biomass and medium was performed on the basis of UPLC/MS analysis and supported with fragmentation patterns obtained from MS/MS experiments. Both mushroom mycelia exhibit a certain metabolic activity which causes declining cefuroxime axetil levels in the wide range of concentrations. The high removal rate (about 100% within 7 days of the experiment) is particularly effective, and could be one of the most important tools in removing soil and water pollutants.