BIOCHEMICAL RESPONSES OF PURE AND MIXED FUNGAL CULTURES ISOLATED FROM WASTE WATER TO THE PRESENCE OF SODIUM TRIPOLIPHOSPHATES

Abstract

Sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) has a wide application in different industrial processes but mainly as the builder in household cleaning products. The use of STPP has been associated with the environmental problem referred to as eutrophication. From the environmental point of view, it is important to identify microorganisms which have the ability to reduce STPP from environment. This paper investigated the chemical and biochemical responses of pure cultures Trichoderma viride and Geotrichum candidum and their mixed culture to the presence sodium tripolyphosphate (STPP) at 0.5% concentration during 8 days of cultivation in the growth liquid medium. For this purpose, the changes in the pH value, redox potential, proteolytic activity of liquid growth media and total dry weight biomass (DWB) of cultures were measured. The addition of STPP in growth medium affected the increase in initial pH values and decrease in redox potential values compared to the control. The STPP caused an inhibitory effect on protease activity of all fungal cultures in the following order: T. viride (3.60%), mixed culture (9.77%) and G. candidum (60.33%). The dry weight biomass (DWB) of T. viride was slightly inhibited (1.06%) whereas DWB of G. candidum (0.58%) and mixed culture (9.53%) were slightly and moderately stimulated by STPP. The results obtained in this study indicate a potential role of tested cultures in polyphosphates removal from industrial and waste water treatment plants and their potential application in the biotechnological processes.