Analysis of the biodegradation of synthetic testosterone and 17α-ethynylestradiol using the edible mushroom Lentinula edodes

Pharmaceutical Pollution in Aquatic Environments: A Concise Review of Environmental Impacts and Bioremediation Systems

The presence of emerging contaminants in the environment, such as pharmaceuticals, is a growing global concern. The excessive use of medication globally, together with the recalcitrance of pharmaceuticals in traditional wastewater treatment systems, has caused these compounds to present a severe environmental problem. In recent years, the increase in their availability, access and use of drugs has caused concentrations in water bodies to rise substantially. Considered as emerging contaminants, pharmaceuticals represent a challenge in the field of environmental remediation; therefore, alternative add-on systems for traditional wastewater treatment plants are continuously being developed to mitigate their impact and reduce their effects on the environment and human health. In this review, we describe the current status and impact of pharmaceutical compounds as emerging contaminants, focusing on their presence in water bodies, and analyzing the development of bioremediation systems, especially mycoremediation, for the removal of these pharmaceutical compounds with a special focus on fungal technologies.

The remediation of sulfonamides from the environment by Pleurotus eryngii mycelium. Efficiency, products and mechanisms of mycodegradation

The objective of the study was to assess the applicability of the mycelium obtained from the in vitro cultures of nontoxic bracket fungus, Pleurotus eryngii, to sulfonamides mycodegradation. Samples containing one of the six selected sulfonamides, sulfanilamide derivatives, were incubated with the mycelium of P. eryngii for 7 and 14 days in vitro. Subsequently, change in the sulfonamide concentration was assessed in the samples using the UPLC-QTof. The transformation products were identified based on monoisotopic molecular mass and fragmentation spectra. The studied sulfonamides did not inhibit the growth of P. eryngii mycelium in the in vitro cultures. In addition, a considerable reduction of sulfonamide concentration was observed in all the incubated samples (from 73.7 ± 8.3% to 99.8 ± 0.3%). In the case of three sulfonamides, the reduction in concentration >90% occurred after 7 days of incubation. However, the transformation of sulfonamides was partially caused by their degradation to simpler organic compounds. After incubation, the products of condensation of sulfonamides with formyl, acyl, and sugar groups, and amino acid-derived compounds were identified in the samples. This indicated the partially reversible nature of the mycodegradation process.

Suitability of Immobilized Systems for Microbiological Degradation of Endocrine Disrupting Compounds

The rising pollution of the environment with endocrine disrupting compounds has increased interest in searching for new, effective bioremediation methods. Particular attention is paid to the search for microorganisms with high degradation potential and the possibility of their use in the degradation of endocrine disrupting compounds. Increasingly, immobilized microorganisms or enzymes are used in biodegradation systems. This review presents the main sources of endocrine disrupting compounds and identifies the risks associated with their presence in the environment. The main pathways of degradation of these compounds by microorganisms are also presented. The last part is devoted to an overview of the immobilization methods used for the purposes of enabling the use of biocatalysts in environmental bioremediation.

Mycoremediation: Expunging environmental pollutants

•

Mycoremediation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, challenges, and strategies to overcome.

•

Role of the fungi in eradicating heavy metal contamination from the polluted sites.

•

Mycoremediation of agricultural wastes including pesticides, herbicides, and cyanotoxins.

•

Pharmaceutical wastes and strategies for its remediation using white-rot and ligninolytic fungus.

The ever-increasing population, rapid rate of urbanization, and industrialization are exacerbating the pollution-related problems. Soil and water pollution affect human health and the ecosystem. Thus, it is crucial to develop strategies to combat this ever-growing problem. Mycoremediation, employing fungi or its derivatives for remediation of environmental pollutants, is a comparatively cost-effective, eco-friendly, and effective method. It has advantages over other conventional and bioremediation methods. In this review, we have elucidated the harmful effects of common pollutants on public health and the environment. The role of several fungi in degrading these pollutants such as heavy metals, agricultural, pharmaceutical wastes, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, is enumerated. Future strategies to improve the rate and efficiency of mycoremediation are suggested. The manuscript describes the strategies which can be used as a future framework to address the global problem of pollution.

Mycoremediation of azole antifungal agents using in vitro cultures of Lentinula edodes

Azole antifungal agents are widely used as active ingredients in antifungal pharmaceuticals and agricultural fungicides. An increase in the use of azole antifungals has resulted in an increase in the concentration of these compounds in wastewater and surface water, with potential implications for agriculture. In the present study, bifonazole (BIF) and clotrimazole (CTZ) were selected for investigation because of their widespread use in topical formulations and persistence in the environment. The mycoremediation capacity of BIF and CTZ by mycelia of Lentinula edodes in in vitro culture was evaluated. The main aim of this study was to identify the presumable biodegradation products of the investigated active pharmaceutical substances using the LC/MS/MS method. For this purpose, the media were enriched with the following active pharmaceutical ingredients selected for this study: BIF powder, CTZ powder, and BIF cream, each of them at the same concentration of 0.1 mg/mL. Subsequently, thin-layer chromatography coupled with densitometry was used to evaluate the content of BIF and CTZ in mycelium from in vitro cultures of L. edodes. The degradation process was found to affect primarily the imidazole moiety of both investigated compounds. In addition, the amounts of undegraded investigated compounds were found to be 4.98, 9.26, and 4.56 mg/g dry weight for BIF powder, CTZ powder, and BIF cream, respectively. Therefore, the findings of this study revealed that L. edodes could be considered for remediation of pollution caused by azole antifungal agents.

Lentinula edodes Mycelium as Effective Agent for Piroxicam Mycoremediation

Pollution of the environment with inorganic and organic substances is one of the main problems in the world. For this reason, it is necessary to conduct researches for effective methods of biodegradation of xenobiotics, including drugs whose unmetabolized forms are introduced into the environment, especially into water. One possible solution to this problem may be the use of white rot fungi, such as Lentinula edodes. This is an edible species used in medicine because of its beneficial anti-cancer, hypocholesterolemic, hypotensive, hypoglycemic and antioxidant effects. Due to the fact that the mycelium of L. edodes produces enzymes with oxidizing properties that can degrade xenobiotics. The aim of the work was verification if in vitro cultures of L. edodes can be used for bioremediation of non-steroidal, anti-inflammatory drug: piroxicam. For this purpose, the in vitro culture of L. edodes was derived and the mycelial cultures of this species enriched with piroxicam were analyzed. The biodegradation pathway of piroxicam by L. edodes mycelium was carried out by the UPLC/MS/MS method. The degradation process of piroxicam was found to affect primarily the linker between the thiazine and the piperidine ring, leading to its oxidation and cleavage. Additionally, oxidation of the benzothiazine moiety was observed, leading to hydroxylation and oxidation of the phenyl ring as well as oxidation of the thiazine ring leading to partial or complete removal of the sulfonamide moiety. It seems that the degradation process led finally to 2-hydroxybenozquinone, which may be further oxidized to inorganic compounds. What's more, concentration of piroxicam in in vitro cultures of L. edodes was not correlated with effectiveness of biodegradation of this compound - on each experimental series, the level of degradation was the same. The results confirm the possibility of using the investigated L. edodes mycelium for remediation of piroxicam.