OXIDATION OF PHENANTHRENE BY A FUNGAL LACCASE IN THE PRESENCE OF 1-HYDROXYBENZOTRIAZOLE AND UNSATURATED LIPIDS

Phenanthrene, a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon, was efficiently oxidi zed by laccase in the presence of both 1-hydroxybenzotriazole and unsa turated lipids, 73 % of initially added phenanthrene was degraded with in 182 hours to give phenanthrene-9,10-quinone and 2,2'-diphenic acid as the major products. The system was also able to peroxidize linoleic acid to its corresponding hydroperoxides suggesting the involvement o f lipid peroxidation in laccase catalyzed phenanthrene oxidation. Lipi d peroxidation by laccase required 1-hydroxybenzotriazole and did not depend on Mn2+ and H2O2 suggesting that the chemical reactions involve d differ from those previously reported for manganese peroxidase. (C) 1998 Academic Press.