The effects of medium strategy, number of impellers, aeration mode, and mode of operation on Morinda elliptica cell suspension cultures in a stirred-tank bioreactor are described. A lower number of impellers and continuous aeration contributed toward high cell growth rate, whereas a higher number of impellers reduced cell growth rate, although not anthraquinone yield. The semicontinuous mode could indirectly imitate the larger scale version of production medium strategy and improved anthraquinone production even with 0. 012% (v/v) antifoam addition. Production medium promoted both growth (maximum dry cell weight of 24.6 g/L) and anthraquinone formation (maximum content of 19.5 mg/g of dry cell weight), without any necessity for antifoam addition. Cultures in production medium or with higher growth rate and anthraquinone production were less acidic than cultures in growth medium or with lower growth rate and anthraquinone production. Using the best operating variables, growth of M. elliptica cells (24.6 g/L) and anthraquinone yield (0.25 g/L) were 45% and 140%, respectively, lower than those using a shake flask culture after 12 days of cultivation.
In this study, a newly isolated ascomycete fungus Trichoderma lixii F21 was explored to bioremediate the polar [Alizarin Red S (ARS)] and non-polar [Quinizarine Green SS (QGSS)] anthraquinone dyes. The bioremediation of ARS and QGSS by T. lixii F21 was found to be 77.78 and 98.31 %, respectively, via biosorption and enzymatic processes within 7 days of incubation. The maximum biosorption (ARS = 33.7 % and QGSS = 74.7 %) and enzymatic biodegradation (ARS = 44.1 % and QGSS = 23.6 %) were observed at pH 4 and 27 °C in the presence of glucose and yeast extract. The laccase and catechol 1,2-dioxygenase produced by T. lixii F21 were involved in the molecular conversions of ARS and QGSS to phenolic and carboxylic acid compounds, without the formation of toxic aromatic amines. This study suggests that T. lixii F21 may be a good candidate for the bioremediation of industrial effluents contaminated with anthraquinone dyes.
The feasibility for the removal of Acid Blue25 (AB25) by Bengal gram fruit shell (BGFS), an agricultural by-product, has been investigated as an alternative for high-cost adsorbents. The impact of various experimental parameters such as dose, different dye concentration, solution pH, and temperature on the removal of Acid Blue25 (AB25) has been studied under the batch mode of operation. pH is a significant impact on the sorption of AB25 onto BGFS. The maximum removal of AB25 was achieved at a pH of 2 (83.84%). The optimum dose of biosorbent was selected as 200 mg for the removal of AB25 onto BGFS. Kinetic studies reveal that equilibrium reached within 180 minutes. Biosorption kinetics has been described by Lagergren equation and biosorption isotherms by classical Langmuir and Freundlich models. Equilibrium data were found to fit well with the Langmuir and Freundlich models, and the maximum monolayer biosorption capacity was 29.41 mg g(-1) of AB25 onto BGFS. The kinetic studies indicated that the pseudo-second-order (PSO) model fitted the experimental data well. In addition, thermodynamic parameters have been calculated. The biosorption process was spontaneous and exothermic in nature with negative values of ΔG° (-1.6031 to -0.1089 kJ mol(-1)) and ΔH° (-16.7920 kJ mol(-1)). The negative ΔG° indicates the feasibility of physical biosorption process. The results indicate that BGFS could be used as an eco-friendly and cost-effective biosorbent for the removal of AB25 from aqueous solution.
The effects of medium strategies [maintenance (M), intermediary (G), and production (P) medium] on cell growth, anthraquinone (AQ) production, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) level, lipid peroxidation, and antioxidant vitamins in Morinda elliptica cell suspension cultures were investigated. These were compared with third-stage leaf and 1-month-old callus culture. With P medium strategy, cell growth at 49 g l(-1), intracellular AQ content at 42 mg g(-1) DW, and H2O2 level at 9 micromol g(-1) FW medium were the highest as compared to the others. However, the extent of lipid peroxidation at 40.4 nmol g(-1) FW and total carotenoids at 13.3 mg g(-1) FW for cultures in P medium were comparable to that in the leaf, which had registered sevenfold lower AQ and 2.2-fold lower H2O2 levels. Vitamin C content at 30-120 microg g(-1) FW in all culture systems was almost half the leaf content. On the other hand, vitamin E content was around 400-500 microg g(-1) FW in 7-day-old cultures from all medium strategies and reduced to 50-150 microg g(-1) FW on day 14 and 21; as compared to 60 microg g(-1) FW in callus and 200 microg g(-1) FW in the leaf. This study suggests that medium strategies and cell growth phase in cell culture could influence the competition between primary and secondary metabolism, oxidative stresses and antioxidative measures. When compared with the leaf metabolism, these activities are dynamic depending on the types and availability of antioxidants.
Marasmius cladophyllus was examined for its ability to degradatively decolourise the recalcitrant dye Remazol Brilliant Blue R (RBBR) and screened for the production of ligninolytic enzymes using specific substrates. Monitoring dye decolourisation by the decrease in absorbance ratio of A592/A500 shows that the decolourisation of RBBR dye was associated with the dye degradation. Marasmius cladophyllus produces laccase and lignin peroxidase in glucose minimal liquid medium containing RBBR. Both enzyme activities were increased, with laccase activity recorded 70 times higher reaching up to 390 U L-1 on day 12. Further in vitro RBBR dye decolourisation using the culture medium shows that laccase activity was correlated with the dye decolourisation. Fresh RBBR dye continuously supplemented into the decolourised culture medium was further decolourised much faster in the subsequent round of the RBBR dye decolourisation. In vitro dye decolourisation using the crude laccase not only decolourised 76% of RBBR dye in just 19 hours but also decolourised 54% of Orange G and 33% of Congo red at the same period of time without the use of any exogenous mediator. This rapid dye decolourisation ability of the enzymes produced by M. cladophyllus thus suggested its possible application in the bioremediation of dye containing wastewater.