CANADIAN JOURNAL OF MICROBIOLOGY

Biological decolorization of Benazol Black ZN, a reactive azo-type textile dyestuff, was comparatively studied using 3 different commercial-type white rot fungi strains (Pleurotus ostreatus, Pleurotus cornucopiae var. citrinopileatus, Pleurotus djamor, and 2 wild types of P. ostreatus (MCC07 and MCC20) isolated from the nature. The initial dye concentrations in the medium were 500 and 1000 mgL(-1). All the organisms studied decolorized Benazol Black ZN to varying degrees. At low dye concentration, both commercial and wild type of P. ostreatus resulted in the best decolorization, conversely, wild-type P.aostreatus (MCC07) was found to be much more robust against increasing dye concentration and provided the best decolorization efficiency at high dye concentration