Screening of laccase, manganese peroxidase, and versatile peroxidase activities of the genus Pleurotus in media with some raw plant materials as carbon sources

Species of the genus Pleurotus are among the most efficient natural species in lignin degradation belonging to the subclass of ligninolytic organisms that produce laccase (Lac), Mn-dependent peroxidase (MnP), versatile peroxidase (VP), and the H₂O₂-generating enzyme aryl-alcohol oxidase, but not lignin peroxidases. Production of Lac and oxidation of 2,6-dimethoxyphenol (DMP) in the presence and absence of Mn²⁺ were detected both in submerged fermentation (SF) of dry ground mandarine peels and in solid-state fermentation (SSF) of grapevine sawdust in all investigated Pleurotus species and strains. Evidence of cultivation methods having a distinct influence on the level of enzyme activities has been demonstrated. Most of the species and strains had higher Lac activity under SSF conditions than under SF conditions. DMP oxidation in the presence and absence of Mn²⁺ was detected in all investigated species and strains, but was lower under SF conditions than under SSF conditions for most of them. However, relative activities of DMP oxidation in the absence of Mn²⁺, as percentages of activity against DMP in the presence of Mn²⁺, were higher under conditions of SF than in SSF cultures in most of the investigated species and strains. The obtained results showed that strains of different origins have different efficiently ligninolytic systems and that conditions of SSF are more favorable for ligninolytic activity than those in SF owing to their similarity to natural conditions on wood substrates.