LOW-THERMAL MICROWAVE EFFECTS ON THE ENZYME ACTIVITY IN THE CELLULOLYTIC FUNGUS PHANEROCHAETE CHRYSOSPORIUM

Low thermal microwave bioeffects are subject of multidisciplinary research with biomedical and environmental issues. In this study some of such effects, with focus enzyme activity changes in Phanerochaete chrysosporium fungus were assayed, with addressing to microwave exposure risks. Very low thermal microwaves (Specific Absorption Rate = 2.32 W/kg) have induced non-linear variation in the antioxidant biochemical indicators with significantly increased for 1 hour exposure time while low thermal microwaves (Specific Absorption Rate = 8.61 W/kg) elicited linear increasing with exposure times. Lignin peroxidase activity was found to decrease remarkably with more than 30%, indicating the impairing of specific metabolic functions of the environmental fungus. The results sustain the hypothesis of reactive oxygen species generation and lipid peroxidation triggered by microwave absorption with consequences on the fungus ability to degrade lignin from wood waste.