Azo dyes decolourization by the laccase from Trametes trogii

Dye decolourizing potential of laccase obtained from the white rot fungus Trametestrogii was studied for two reactive dyes; namely Reactive Black 5 (diazoic) and Reactive Violet 5 (monoazoic). The presence of a redox mediator as 1-hydroxybenzotriazole (HBT) was found to be essential for the decolourization of the said two dyes. The optimization of the decolourization process using experimental design was studied with three variables: dye (25, 50, 100mg/L), enzyme (0.1; 0.5; 1 U/mL) and redox mediator (0.1; 0.5; 1mM) concentrations. Results of this investigation revealed that the optimum concentrations of dye, enzyme and HBT for the degradation of the Reactive Black 5 (RB5) were 25mg/L, 1U/mL and 1mM, respectively, for a maximum decolourization about 93%. However, the optimum concentrations for Reactive Violet 5 (RV5) were found to be 25mg/L, 0.5 U/mL and 0.5mM, for a total removal of the dye. The apparent capacity of this laccase to decolourize azo dyes make it a suitable candidate for further applications in biobleaching and the treatment of textile effluents.