Effect of molasses on the production and activity of dye-decolorizing peroxidase from Geotrichum candidum Dec1

The production of dye-decolorizing peroxidase (DyP) was investigated by cultivating Geotrichum candidum Dec1 using molasses as a carbon source. Molasses at concentrations greater than 10 g.l(-1) was found to increase the decolorization activity of the culture broth toward dye, reactive blue 5 mainly because the amount of enzyme produced was enhanced. However, complete inhibition of DyP activity by molasses was observed at the concentration of 20 g.l(-1), indicating that the inhibitory effect of molasses on the culture broth activity to decolorize the dye was involved. When the culture broth was diluted 25 times, the dye-decolorizing activity was 7 times as much as that of non-diluted culture broth. The molasses fractions separated by gel chromatography (300-400 ml and 400-500 ml fractions) completely inhibited the purified DyP. On the basis of these results, we propose a scheme to control both positive and negative effects of molasses on the dye decolorization process.