Abstract

BIODEGRADATION OF HAIR DYE BY MARINE FUNGAL ISOLATES

K. Anandhi*, S. L. Anuja and S. Shanthi

ABSTRACT

Hair dye is used to impart colour to hair. Fungi play an important role in the degradation of dye. The growth of four marine fungi Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus terreus & Penicillium citrinum and degradation ability were tested by utilizing different concentration of hair dye (0.5%, 1% & 1.5%) at different temperature and p H. Penicillium citrinum grow well in all tested dyes and observed high degradation efficiency. Qualitative analysis of enzymes showed that Penicillium citrinum produce maximum level of amylase and lipase and minimum amount of protease. Other fungi produced all the 3 enzymes at minimum level. FT-IR results showed that PD broth incorporated with the untreated Godrej hair dye have showed the 14 peaks and Godrej hair dye treated with P.citrinum showed 10 peaks. This FT-IR results confirmed that compounds in the dye degraded by fungi Penicillium citrinum and the results of this findings and literature suggest a great potential for fungi to be used to degrade hairdye and Penicillium citrinum could be considered for the bioremediation of hair dye in the environment.

Keywords: Azo dyes; Microbial degradation; Decolourization; FT-IR; PCP.