Aerobic biodegradation of Azo dye by Bacillus cohnii MTCC 3616; an obligately alkaliphilic bacterium and toxicity evaluation of metabolites by different bioassay systems.

An obligate alkaliphilic bacterium Bacillus cohnii MTCC 3616 aerobically decolorized a textile azo dye Direct Red-22 (5,000 mg l⁻¹) with 95 % efficiency at 37 °C and pH 9 in 4 h under static conditions. The decolorization of Direct Red-22 (DR-22) was possible through a broad pH (7-11), temperature (10-45 °C), salinity (1-7 %), and dye concentration (5-10 g l⁻¹) range. Decolorization of dye was assessed by UV-vis spectrophotometer with reduction of peak intensity at 549 nm (λ(max)). Biodegradation of dye was analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The FTIR spectrum revealed that B. cohnii specifically targeted azo bond (N=N) at 1,614.42 cm⁻¹ to break down Direct Red-22. Formation of metabolites with different retention times in HPLC analysis further confirmed the degradation of dye. The phytotoxicity test with 5,000 mg l⁻¹ of untreated dye showed 80 % germination inhibition in Vigna mungo, 70 % in Sorghum bicolor and 80 % in Vigna radiata. No germination inhibition was noticed in all three plants by DR-22 metabolites at 5,000 mg l⁻¹. Biotoxicity test with Artemia salina proved the lethality of the azo dye at LC₅₀ of 4 and 8 % for degraded metabolites by causing death of its nauplii compared to its less toxic-degraded metabolites. Bioaccumulation of dye was observed in the mid-gut of A. salina. The cytogenotoxicity assay on the meristematic root tip cells of Allium cepa further confirmed the cytotoxic nature of azo dye (DR-22) with decrease in mitotic index (0.5 % at 500 ppm) and increase in aberrant index (4.56 %) over 4-h exposure period. Genotoxic damages (lagging chromosome, metaphase cluster, chromosome bridges, and dye accumulation in cytoplasm) were noticed at different stages of cell cycle. The degraded metabolites had negligible cytotoxic and genotoxic effects.