ABSTRACT Phenol contamination is a worldwide issue and thus an effective way to remove the presence of phenol in environment is needed. In this study, green and cost effective mycoremediation for phenol degradation was tested using common edible macrofungi, namely Agaricus bisporus, Pleurotus ostreatus and Lentinula edodes. These macrofungi were cultured in Bushnell Haas Broth (BHB) with different concentrations of phenol (0.3, 0.6, 0.9, and 1.2 μL/mL). BHB with no phenol added served as negative control. All the microfungi were cultured for 15 days. Dry biomass (g) of the mushrooms were weighted and enzyme (laccase and manganese peroxidase) activities were assayed using spectrophotometry with λ = 450 nm for laccase, and λ = 610 nm for manganese peroxidase (MnP). Results showed the biomass and enzymes’ activities decreased as the phenol concentration increased. This suggests despite phenol’s toxicity to the macrofungi, these macrofungi were still able to tolerate and biodegrade phenol by using laccase and MnP. A. bisporus recorded the highest MnP activity and highest production of biomass, while P. ostreatus produced the highest laccase activity. A. bisporus was found to be the best candidate for use in phenol degradation based on the highest biomass weight and highest MnP activity.
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