Biodegradation and Detoxification Efficiency of Azo-Dye Reactive Orange 16 by Pichia kudriavzevii CR-Y103

In consideration of the hazards associated with the presence of the textile azo-dye and their biotransformation products in the environment, the goal of this work was to study bioremediation process by the yeast strain Pichia kudriavzevii CR-Y103 related to the ability to degrade and detoxify the sulfonated Reactive Orange 16 azo-dye. In experimental conditions, the optimal inoculum/dye concentration ratio required for complete decolorization (100%) of culture medium and biomass within 24 h has been 1 g L⁻¹ yeast cell (dry weight)/50 mg L⁻¹ Reactive Orange 16. In the presence of 400 mg L⁻¹ of Reactive Orange 16 (RO16), 95% of the dye was removed after 72 h of incubation. Also, the yeast strain could decolorize other eight textile dyes (56.48–99.98% decolorization within 24 h). NADH-DCIP reductase and azo reductase activities were significantly increased (ca. 5.4 times and ca. 37 times, respectively) during the decolorization process. UV-VIS spectra, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis confirmed the presence of new biotransformation products in extracted metabolites, highlighting the partial biodegradation of the dye by the new yeast isolate. The phytotoxicity evaluation strongly supported the decreased toxicity of biodegraded products as minor inhibition on germination (%), root and shoots elongation of T. pratense L. and T. aestivum L. seedlings. Increasing of mitotic index value and decreasing the frequency of chromosomal aberrations in tested plant meristem cells treated with biodegraded products, compared with RO16 treatment (500 ppm), confirmed their slightly toxic nature. A cell viability assay also confirmed the reduced toxicity of biodegraded products on healthy monkey kidney cells (Vero cells).