Decontamination of water polluted with phenol using Raphanus sativus root

Abstract Plant materials have been found useful in decontamination of water polluted with phenolic compounds. The detoxification effect is due to peroxidases contained in plant tissue. Enzyme mediated oxidative coupling of phenol is followed by precipitation of the formed polymer and its removal from the aqueous phase. A synthetic wastewater buffered at pH = 7.4 containing 0.9 mM phenol was treated in this research with cut Raphanus sativus root and its juice. Cut Raphanus or Raphanus juice were added separately as enzyme source to phenol solution in buffer and in tap water in two series of experiments. The reaction was initiated by the addition of hydrogen peroxide. After three hours stirring the phenol content of the mixtures was determined. More than 90% of phenol was removed in both cases

Preparation of chitosan from <i>Penicillium</i> <span style="mso-bidi-font-style:italic">spp. and determination of their degree of deacetylation </span>

231-235Four fungal strains, Penicillium waksmanii, P. aurantiogriseum, P. viridicatum and P. citrinum were investigated for their chitosan production. Their chitosan yields were in the range of 20-30% of the dry wt mycetium. The degree of deacetylation was estimated by analytical method FT-IR; it ranged between 47.3-65.1%. The viscosity of 1% chitosan in 1% acetic acid solution was determined. P. waksmanii showed the highest degree of deacetylation and viscosity