Amazon acai and pineapple residues induce the enzyme laccase in pleurotus ostreatus: application to bisphenol a bioremediatio

Abstract

Bisphenol A (BPA), an endocrine disruptor used in different commercial polymers, is a persistent pollutant commonly found in effluents. Conventional wastewater treatment processes have low chemical removal efficiency and are expensive. This work evaluated BPA removal using laccase enzyme produced from white rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus. For the enzymatic production, residues of acai berry and pineapple were used as laccase inducers. The use of natural inducers led to a high enzyme production (1139 and 1031 U mL-1 to acai and pineapple, respectively). Bisphenol A was removed to a concentration lower than LOD (limit of detection) after 4 h. The degradation mechanism of BPA occurred by oxidation of methyl to hydroxymethyl group in a propane portion, with breakdown of the aromatic ring. The developed technology brought to the scene a new green, viable methodology, using vegetable waste, adding value to these residues and bringing an alternative to the BPA treatment.