Dye decolorization activities of marine-derived fungi isolated from Manila Bay and Calatagan Bay, Philippines

• Main Authors: Torres, Jeremy Martin O., Cardenas, Christine V., Moron, Llewelyn S., Guzman, Ana Patricia A., dela Cruz, Thomas Edison E.
• Format: text
• Published: Animo Repository 2011
• Subjects: Bioremediation; Marine bioremediation; Marine fungi; Biotechnology
• Online Access: https://animorepository.dlsu.edu.ph/faculty_research/8150
• Institution: De La Salle University

Synthetic dyes used in textile industries, if not treated prior to its disposal, can enter our water systems and cause pollution. Thus, our research study explores the potential of locally isolated marine-derived fungi as bioremediation agents of dye pollution. Marine-derived fungi that were initially isolated from seawater and marine sediments (MF) and from living seagrasses (EMF) were tested for their ability to decolorize synthetic dyes using the tube agar overlay method. Of the 26 isolates tested, 21 strains showed partial to full dye decolorization of 0.01% crystal violet (CV). Selected strains were then further tested for dye decolorization on different culture media, e.g. Potato Dextrose Agar (PDAS), Malt Extract Agar (MEAS), and Czapek Dox Agar (CDAS), all supplemented with 33g/L marine salts and 0.01% CV. Results showed that only EMF14 and MF6 decolorized the dye with a maximum decolorization depth of 9mm and 7mm, respectively. Three strains were further tested for the decolorization of different dyes, e.g. crystal violet, Congo red and brilliant green, in liquid media (PDBS) under agitated and stationary conditions. All tested strains (EMF14, MF6, and MF49) completely decolorized Congo red regardless of the culture condition while only EMF14 and MF49 exhibited 87 – 91% decolorization of crystal violet. No growth and/or decolorization were observed on brilliant green. Gene sequence analysis confirmed the identities of these dye-decolorizing marine-derived fungi as Phialophora sp. (MF 6), Penicillium sp. (MF 49), and Cladosporium sp. (EMF 14).