Abstract
Environmental pollution by heavy metals is a recent global problem threatening human life through the food chain. The used of fungi provides an alternative solution to eliminate these heavy metals. The current study aims to study the change of secondary metabolic pathways of fungal strain tolerant of Zinc metal. Penicillium chrysogenum selected strain was isolated from the sand of beaches polluted with Zinc at East Algerian area. The optimization of Penicillium chrysogenum strain was carried out on Czapek Yeast Agar medium (CYA) at different temperature and pH values. The effect of Zinc on the production of secondary metabolites by Penicillium chrysogenum strain was determined on solid medium, Thin Layer Chromatography (TLC) plate and High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC). The results revealed that Penicillium chrysogenum strain can develop in a wide range of temperature and pH with an optimum of 28 ° C and 6. It is capable to tolerate high concentrations of Zinc (up to 1400 mg.l-1).This study showed that high concentrations of Zinc (1200 and 1400 mg.l-1) have a positive effect on antibiotic production, but they have a negative effect on the mycotoxin production except to neoxaline.
Highlights
Soil and wastewater, from industries contain high concentration of heavy metals which pass into human and animals through food chain (LópezErrasquín and Vázquez, 2003)
It is capable to tolerate high concentrations of Zinc.This study showed that high concentrations of Zinc (1200 and 1400 mg.l1-) have a positive effect on antibiotic production, but they have a negative effect on the mycotoxin production except to neoxaline
The ability of P. chrysogenum to grow on extreme pH can be explained effectively by the intracellular changes to maintain the membrane potential in relation to the external environment, these changes involve control of proton movement intra and extracellular
Summary
From industries contain high concentration of heavy metals which pass into human and animals through food chain (LópezErrasquín and Vázquez, 2003). Some heavy metals have been found recently in relatively high levels The presence of these metals at high concentration causes lethal effect on living systems including fungi. The toxicity of these metals was affected by different factors like pH and the composition of growth medium. Penicillium is known as a genus of Ascomycetous fungi tolerant of various heavy metals at high concentrations It is known for its ability to produce important bioactive compounds in the field of industry and pharmaceuticals due to highly diversified spectrum of secondary metabolites, including antibacterial (Gloer, 2007), and potent mycotoxins (Keating and Figgitt, 2003). The current study aims to study the effect of Zinc at high concentrations on the pathways of natural secondary metabolites in tolerant Penicillium chrysogenum strain
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