Anthracene detoxification by Laccases from indigenous fungal strains Trichoderma lixii FLU1 and Talaromyces pinophilus FLU12

The persistence and ubiquity of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the environment necessitate effective remediation strategies. Hence, this study investigated the potential of purified Laccases, TlFLU1L and TpFLU12L, from two indigenous fungi Trichoderma lixii FLU1 (TlFLU1) and Talaromyces pinophilus FLU12 (TpFLU12), respectively for the oxidation and detoxification of anthracene. Anthracene was degraded with vmax values of 3.51 ± 0.06 mg/L/h and 3.44 ± 0.06 mg/L/h, and Km values of 173.2 ± 0.06 mg/L and 73.3 ± 0.07 mg/L by TlFLU1L and TpFLU12L, respectively. The addition of a mediator compound 2,2-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) (ABTS) to the reaction system significantly increased the degradation of anthracene, with up to a 2.9-fold increase in vmax value and up to threefold decrease in Km values of TlFLU1L and TpFLU12L. The GC–MS analysis of the metabolites suggests that anthracene degradation follows one new pathway unique to the ABTS system—hydroxylation and carboxylation of C-1 and C-2 position of anthracene to form 3-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, before undergoing dioxygenation and side chain removal to form chromone which was later converted into benzoic acid and CO2. This pathway contrasts with the common dioxygenation route observed in the free Laccase system, which is observed in the second degradation pathways. Furthermore, toxicity tests using V. parahaemolyticus and HT-22 cells, respectively, demonstrated the non-toxic nature of Laccase-ABTS-mediated metabolites. Intriguingly, analysis of the expression level of Alzheimer’s related genes in HT-22 cells exposed to degradation products revealed no induction of neurotoxicity unlike untreated cells. These findings propose a paradigm shift for bioremediation by highlighting the Laccase-ABTS system as a promising green technology due to its efficiency with the discovery of a potentially less harmful degradation pathway, and the production of non-toxic metabolites.