Kinetic parameters determination of the phenolic derivatives assimilation by trichosporon cutaneum r57

Abstract

The kinetic parameters characteristic of the growth and degradation capacity of Trichosporon cutaneum R57 strain in relation to o-, m-, p-chlorophenol, o-, m-, p-cresol and o-, m-, p-nitrophenol are presented in this study. The investigated strain degraded up to 0.1 g/l of all mono-chlorophenols. A concentration of 0.2 g/l p- cresol was completely degraded whereas m- cresol was degraded to an extent of 32%. No degradation of o- cresol was observed. O- nitrophenol in concentration of 0.1 g/l was less readily degraded than the same concentration of m-nitrophenol and p- nitrophenol was not degraded. The Haldane equation has frequently been used to describe the biodegradation of toxic substrates but little is known about the kinetic constants for the biodegradation of aromatic compounds. The coefficients obtained confirmed the higher toxicity of the investigated phenol derivatives on Trichosporon cutaneum R57. The yield coefficient (Y) was least of all in the medium supplemented with o- chlorophenol where μmax was also minimum. The highest value of Ki characteristic of p-cresol assimilation correlated with the ability of Trichosporon cutaneum R57 to degrade up to 0.4 g/l of this compound. The model prediction was compared with experimental data. It was found that the designed model described the trend of experimental data satisfactorily. © 2005 Taylor and Francis Group, LLC.