Abstract

King Dave G. Martin^1,2*, Maria Fatima T. Astrero¹, Laurence Anthony N. Mallari¹ and Roland M. Hipol¹

DOI : http://dx.doi.org/10.13005/ojc/370122

Laccases are enzymes produced by different microbes like bacteria and fungi. These enzymes are members of the family of oxidases and are capable of oxidizing phenolics into non-toxic forms. Sediments were collected from the Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System, specifically from the sampling area connected to leather tanneries, which directly dump their effluents into the river. This study aimed to determine the presence of laccase activity of sediments of Meycauayan River where effluents of leather factories and tanneries are directly dumped. Concentration of the phenolic compounds from five collection sites were measured. Collected phenol - contaminated sediments were tested for laccase activity using ABTS (2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid)). Laccase was extracted from the collected sediments and used for the degradation of phenol. Reduction of phenol concentration by the extracted laccase reached 79.82% to as high as90.84%with a starting phenol concentration of 27.5 mmol per sample. Three strains of phenol-degrading ligninolytic bacteria closely related to Lysinibacillus xylanilyticus, Lysinibacillus fusiformisss, and Lysinibacillus sphaericuswere identified to be present in the river’s sediment which could produce laccase and facilitate degradation of phenol.

Biodegradation; Enzyme; Laccase; Lysinibacillus; Marilao-Meycauayan-Obando River System; Phenol

[ View HTML Full Text]