Potential of Carbofuran Degradation by Soil Bacteria in Malaysia: A Review

Abstract

Carbofuran is a very toxic and systemic carbamate pesticide which is used as an extensive carbamate insecticide, nematicide andacaricide. It is applied to the soil as a treatment to manage or destroy pests and parasites to improve the quality of agricultural production. It is also an anticholinesterase carbamate which is highly toxic to plants, animals andhumans. The consequences have received great concern as many health-associated problems have still been reported due to pesticide poisoning. In humans, carbofuran is associated with the inhibition of cholinesterase, which could develop a cholinergic crisis known as sludge syndrome. Therefore, it is essential to take quick action to eliminate this pesticide from the environment. Bacterial degradation is a very eco-friendly method for the elimination of carbofuran. Bacterial enzymes and degradation genes play an essential role in catalyzing new biochemical pathways during the bacterial degradation process. A complete screening of bacterial carbofuran metabolic pathway can develop marker genes or enzymes to determine useful bacteria in the contaminated sites capable to degrade carbofuran residues. Therefore, this review focused on the understanding of bacterial degradation of carbofuran in Malaysian soils and to explore the possibility of soil bacteria to degrade carbofuran effectively. Thus, we emphasize on the carbofuran toxicity, bacterial degradation, metabolic and molecular mechanisms of carbofuran's degradation process.