Transformation Pathways of the Recalcitrant Pharmaceutical Compound Carbamazepine by the White-Rot Fungus Pleurotus ostreatus: Effects of Growth Conditions

Environ Sci Technol. 2015 Oct 20;49(20):12351-62. doi: 10.1021/acs.est.5b02222. Epub 2015 Sep 29.

Abstract

The widely used anticonvulsant pharmaceutical carbamazepine is recalcitrant in many environmental niches and thus poses a challenge in wastewater treatment. We followed the decomposition of carbamazepine by the white-rot fungus Pleurotus ostreatus in liquid culture compared to solid-state fermentation on lignocellulosic substrate where different enzymatic systems are active. Carbamazepine metabolites were identified using liquid chromatography-high-resolution mass spectrometry (LC-Q-TOF-MS). In liquid culture, carbamazepine was only transformed to 10,11-epoxy carbamazepine and 10,11-dihydroxy carbamazepine as a dead-end product. During solid-state fermentation, carbamazepine metabolism resulted in the generation of an additional 22 transformation products, some of which are toxic. Under solid-state-fermentation conditions, 10,11-epoxy carbamazepine was further metabolized via acridine and 10,11-dihydroxy carbamazepine pathways. The latter was further metabolized via five subpathways. When (14)C-carbonyl-labeled carbamazepine was used as the substrate, (14)C-CO2 release amounted to 17.4% of the initial radioactivity after 63 days of incubation. The proposed pathways were validated using metabolites (10,11-epoxy carbamazepine, 10,11-dihydroxy carbamazepine, and acridine) as primary substrates and following their fate at different time points. This work highlights the effect of growth conditions on the transformation pathways of xenobiotics. A better understanding of the fate of pollutants during bioremediation treatments is important for establishment of such technologies.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Acridines / metabolism
  • Biodegradation, Environmental
  • Carbamazepine / metabolism*
  • Carbamazepine / pharmacokinetics
  • Carbon Radioisotopes / analysis
  • Carbon Radioisotopes / metabolism
  • Chromatography, Liquid / methods
  • Environmental Pollutants / metabolism*
  • Environmental Pollutants / pharmacokinetics
  • Fermentation
  • Mass Spectrometry
  • Pleurotus / growth & development*
  • Pleurotus / metabolism*
  • Wastewater / chemistry
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / metabolism*
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical / pharmacokinetics

Substances

  • Acridines
  • Carbon Radioisotopes
  • Environmental Pollutants
  • Waste Water
  • Water Pollutants, Chemical
  • Carbamazepine