Bio-bleaching of Remazol brilliant blue-19 by Stereum ostrea

Efficiency of white-rot fungi—Stereum ostrea (S. ostrea) as a test culture and Phanerochaete chrysosporium (P. chrysosporium) as a reference culture in colour removal from a textile dye, Remazol brilliant blue-19 (RBB-19) in medium was compared in this study. S. ostrea was more efficient than P. chrysosporium in decoloration process. Different parameters pH, temperature, sources of carbon and nitrogen, stationary and shaking conditions were optimized for bleaching of dye by the fungal cultures. Optimal growth conditions for decoloration of dye by both cultures were pH 5.0, temperature 35 °C, glucose and fructose as best carbon source at 1 % level, peptone and urea as best nitrogen source and shaking conditions (150 rpm). Culture broth free of colour (99 % of decoloration) was achieved with S. ostrea as against 70 % decoloration by P. chrysosporium on 6th day of incubation. Adsorption of dye to fungal biomass as reflected by colour coating on biomass and participation of lignolytic enzymes in colour removal appeared to be mechanisms involved in decoloration process. The ability of both fungal cultures in removal of colour in effluents with dyes collected from silk saree-weaving cottage unit was tested. S. ostrea was also found to be more effective in colour removal from effluent. S. ostrea appears to be a promising culture for application of bioremediation in decoloration of dyes.