Remazol Brilliant Blue R Dye Decolourization by Laccase Produced by Pleurotus Sajor-caju via Solid-State Fermentation

The application of synthetic dyes in various industries improved the aesthetic properties of the products, but the discharge of dye-containing effluent into water bodies leads to serious environmental problems. Till date, colour removal from effluent is still a challenge due to the absence of economically attractive treatments. In this study, decolourization of a synthetic dye – Remazol brilliant Blue R (RBBR) using partially purified laccase from Pleurotus sajor-caju was investigated and compared to commercial laccase from Trametes versicolor. The findings show that crude laccase activity at 0.006 U/L produced by P. sajor-caju via solid-state fermentation did not decolourize RBBR (30 mg/L) well due to very low enzyme activity. However, the partially purified enzyme (0.07 U/L) is capable to decolourize RBBR solution up to 36% in 24 hours with an improvement of RBBR decolourization efficiency approximately by 12-fold. In comparison, when 0.1 U/L commercial laccase was used, only about 25% RBBR decolourization was achieved after 24 hours of incubation. This signifies that the laccase produced via solid-state fermentation has high enzyme activity, and can be used in bioremediation.