Biodegradation of synthetic plastics by the extracellular lipase of Aspergillus niger
Artikel i vetenskaplig tidskrift, 2024

A rapid increase in plastic pollution is a major threat to the environment. One intriguing group of enzymes that can act as biocatalysts for the breakdown of polymers is lipase. This study reports the production of lipase from Aspergillus niger MG654699.1 utilizing agro-industrial residue (wheat bran) through solid-state fermentation. The produced lipase showed 176.55 U/mL of activity, 7.18 mg/mL of protein content, and 24.60 U/mg of specific activity under the optimal conditions of 37°C and pH 7.0. The biocatalytic activity of 30 KDa lipase resulted in 3.8%, 3.6%, and 5% weight loss of PE (polyethylene), PET (polyethylene terephthalate), and PS (polystyrene), respectively. Application of Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) confirmed the lipase-mediated deterioration of treated polymer samples. The alterations in functional groups and surface structures of the samples showed the chemical and physical impact of the applied enzyme. The findings of this study showed that lipase can be employed as an eco-friendly and green biocatalyst for effective depolymerization and deterioration of environmental plastic waste.

Polystyrene

Polyethylene terephthalate

Biodegradation

Lipase

Polyethylene

Författare

Ayesha Safdar

The Islamia University of Bahawalpur

Fatima Ismail

The Islamia University of Bahawalpur

Muhammad Imran

Chalmers, Kemi och kemiteknik, Kemiteknik

Environmental Advances

26667657 (ISSN)

Vol. 17 100563

Ämneskategorier (SSIF 2011)

Fysikalisk kemi

Biokatalys och enzymteknik

DOI

10.1016/j.envadv.2024.100563

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Senast uppdaterat

2024-07-16