Exploration of Basidiomycetes for Anthraquinone Dyes Decolorization in Textile Wastewater

Anthraquinone (AQ) dyes are utilized extensively in the textile industry due to their ability to fasten fabrics. The intricate and rigid structures of AQ dyes, however, prevent them from biodegradation. They also create nitrate residues, which persist as effluents in textile wastewater and harm aquatic vegetation by obstructing light from entering the water, which affects both flora and fauna. The use of bioremediation technique is most popular because it is environmentally beneficial and economical. The aim of this study was to isolate white rot fungi (WRF) for their ability to decolorize AQ dyes and their mixtures. The current study shows the decolorization of mixture of AQ dyes (MAQD), namely, Acid blue 129 (AB129), Alizarin cyanin green (ACG), and Remazol brilliant blue R (RBBR) (200 ppm) under optimized parameters: pH 7, temperature 30°C, and shaking speed 80 rpm in 24 h by using suspended fungal isolates, VS12 (93.71%) and WF2 (92.76%) isolated from decaying wood. The highest manganese peroxidase (MnP) activity (2391.77 U/mL) was found in VS12 followed by WF2 (2318.28 U/mL) in 24 h. Moreover, the study revealed that MnP is one of the causes for decolorization of MAQD, as decolorization is directly proportional to MnP activity. On the basis of morphological features and a complete sequence analysis of 18S rRNA gene and internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region, the isolates were identified as Trametes cubensis WF2 and Polyporus umbellatus VS12. This is the first report of white rot fungal isolates T. cubensis WF2 and P. umbellatus VS12 used in efficient decolorization of MAQD (AB129, ACG, RBBR).