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The biotransformation of phenolic pollutants using polyphenol oxidase

The potential of using mushroom polyphenol oxidase (EC 1.14.18.1) as a biocatalyst for the biotransformation of phenols to produce catechols in an aqueous medium was investigated. Polyphenol oxidase is characterised by two distinct reactions i.e., the ortho-hydroxylation of phenols to catechols (cresolase activity) and the subsequent oxidation of catechols to orthoquinones (catecholase activity). In order to facilitate the development of a process to produce catechols, the accumulation of catechol as a true intermediate product released in the reaction system needed to be investigated, as its release had been disputed due to the oxidation of catechols to o-quinones. Using LC-MS, catechol products were successfully identified as true intermediate products formed during biocatalytic reactions in water.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:rhodes/vital:3976
Date January 2002
CreatorsBoshoff, Aileen
PublisherRhodes University, Faculty of Science, Biochemistry, Microbiology and Biotechnology
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
LanguageEnglish
Detected LanguageEnglish
TypeThesis, Doctoral, PhD
Format227 leaves, pdf
RightsBoshoff, Aileen

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