3-Chloropropionic Acid (3cp) Degradation and Production of Propionic Acid by Newly Isolated Fungus Trichoderma Sp. Mf1

Abstract

Biologically synthesized chemicals have drawn a growing interest recently. The main objectives of the study are to isolate 3CP degrading fungus and to examine its ability to produce Propionic Acid (PA) as a by-product. 3CP is widely used in many pesticide and herbicide synthesis due to biocidal properties but it is toxic and recalcitrant to be removed from the biosphere. Bioremediation approaches through dehalogenation have promised removal of these xenobiotics. Fungi are selected due to its broad enzymatic capacities which is not limited like bacteria. In this research, several fungal isolates have been purified, among the isolates, strain designated as MF1 has shown greater potential in 3CP degradation. Using morphological and molecular approaches, MF1 was identified as Trichoderma sp. Amplification of ITS genome region revealed that the MF1 isolate had 99% identity to Trichoderma asperellum strain AF14 (JX677934.1). Strain MF1 growth rate is 1.42cm/day on solid medium and it was able to produce biomass up to 0.855g/L in liquid minimal medium supplemented with 10mM 3CP. Whereas the growth in control medium containing 1% glucose has resulted in biomass of 1.814g/L. 90.32% of 10mM 3CP were successfully de-chlorinated within 20 days. Confirmed by HPLC, PA was the major product of dehalogenation with highest concentration of 2.72mM at day 10. Presented data can be used for the designing of by-product extraction. Dehalogenation of 3CP by Trichoderma MF1 have not only been successfully removed xenobiotic pollutant but also have open for new strategy on synthesis of industrial required chemicals.