Enhanced phytotransformation of Navy Blue RX dye by Petunia grandiflora Juss. with augmentation of rhizospheric Bacillus pumilus strain PgJ and subsequent toxicity analysis.

This study reveals the beneficial synergistic phytoremediation potential of Petunia grandiflora Juss. with its rhizospheric bacterial isolate Bacillus pumilus strain PgJ to decolorize reactive Navy Blue RX (NBRX) dye by their active enzymatic machinery. In vitro cultures of P. grandiflora and B. pumilus gave 80.01% and 76.80% while their consortium decolorized NBRX up to 96.86% within 36 h. Significant induction in the enzyme activities of lignin peroxidase (207%), tyrosinase (133%), laccase (161%), riboflavin reductase (78%) were seen in the roots of tissue cultured plants while enzymes tyrosinase (660%), laccase (689%), riboflavin reductase (528%) were induced significantly in the B. pumilus cells. Metabolites of treated NBRX were analyzed using UV-vis spectroscopy, gas chromatography and biotransformation was visualized using high performance thin layer chromatography profile. Metabolites of the dye exhibited reduced phytotoxicity Sorghum vulgare and Phaeseolus mungo and significant reduction in cytogenotoxicity on Allium cepa roots when compared to NBRX.