Oxytetracycline and epi-oxytetracycline degradation by enzymatic crude extract from Lentinula edodes.

White-rot fungi have the ability to degrade a wide variety of organic compounds and persistent environmental pollutants, owing to the production of ligninolytic enzymes such as laccases. In the present study the enzymatic degradation of the persistent pollutant Oxytetracycline (OTC) and its epimer (epi-OTC) in aqueous solution has been studied. An enzymatic crude extract obtained from Lentinula edodes growth medium has been used. The two isomers degradation had a half -life time of 24 h, then it continued slowly up to 75 % in 72 h. The chromatographic and electrophoretic analysis of the enzimatically treated antibiotic did not evidence the formation of the most important microbiological degradation compounds of OTC, alfa-apo-OTC and beta-apo-OTC. During the experiment a less polar metabolite was detected which was completely degraded at 72 h.