Biotransformation of three pharmaceutical active compounds by the fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium in a fed batch stirred reactor under air and oxygen supply

Abstract

White-rot fungi are a group of microorganisms capable of degrading xenobiotic compounds, such as polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons or synthetic dyes, by means of the action of extracellular oxidative enzymes secreted during secondary metabolism. In this study, the transformation of three anti-inflammatory drugs: diclofenac, ibuprofen and naproxen were carried out by pellets of Phanerochaete chrysosporium in fed-batch bioreactors operating under continuous air supply or periodic pulsation of oxygen. The performance of the fungal reactors was steady over a 30-day treatment and the effect of oxygen pulses on the pellet morphology was evidenced. Complete elimination of diclofenac was achieved in the aerated and the oxygenated reactors, even with a fast oxidation rate in the presence of oxygen (77% after 2 h), reaching a total removal after 23 h. In the case of ibuprofen, this compound was completely oxidized under air and oxygen supply. Finally, naproxen was oxidized in the range of 77 up to 99% under both aeration conditions. These findings demonstrate that the oxidative capability of this microorganism for the anti-inflammatory drugs is not restricted to an oxygen environment, as generally accepted, since the fungal reactor was able to remove these compounds under aerated and oxygenated conditions. This result is very interesting in terms of developing viable reactors for the oxidation of target compounds as the cost of aeration can be significantly reduced.

Biodegradation and biotransformation of polycyclic non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

“…Metabolites formed via fungal transformation suggested that hydroxylation was catalyzed by monooxygenases cooperating with cytochrome P-450. However, the authors did not exclude the role of extracellular ligninolytic enzymes in diclofenac transformation (90 % during 3 days) (Hata et al 2010;Rodarte-Morales et al 2012). The same metabolites were indicated in a culture of bacteria-Actinoplanes sp.…”

Carbamazepine as a Possible Anthropogenic Marker in Water: Occurrences, Toxicological Effects, Regulations and Removal by Wastewater Treatment Technologies

“…Performance of WRF for PhAC removal has been predominantly assessed under sterile conditions to avoid bacterial contamination [158,165,166]. This is because bacterial contamination under non-sterile conditions can negatively affect the performance of whole-cell WRF [154,167].…”

Dynamics of ibuprofen biodegradation by Bacillus sp. B1(2015b)

“…Some degradative potential was also found in white-rot fungi such as Trametes versicolor, Irpex lacteus, Ganoderma lucidum, Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Bjerkandera adusta and Bjerkandera sp. R1 (Marco-Urrea et al 2009, Rodarte-Morales et al 2012. Studies on activated sludge show that even a complex consortium of microorganisms is characterized by low effi ciency of ibuprofen degradation (Quintana et al 2005).…”