Assessment of Distillery Effluent for Removal of Melanoidin Pigment by Aspergillus niger and Curvularia andropogonis and their Mutants

Thisstudy elucidate the biodegradation of melanoidin pigment present in discharged distillery wastewater by means of selected fungal strains Aspergillus niger, Curvularia andropogonis alone and in combination withtheirmutantsnamedas A-1, A-2, A-3 and C-1, C2, C-3. During the study, role of carbon source i.e. glucose was alsostudied for decolorization. Fromthe resultsitwas observedthatamaximumcolorreduction is achieved in presence of additional carbon source (glucose) i.e. 73.69%, 67.32%, 69.36%, and 68.34% by Aspergillus niger and its mutants A-1, A2, A-3 respectively whereas in absence of glucose the color reduction was 55.13%, 52.30%, 38.66% and 47.54% respectively wasachieved. Data revealedthat Aspergillus niger is giving better result than its mutants in presence of glucose (1%). Similarly, maximum reduction in color from Curvularia andropogonis was achieved in presence of glucose i.e. 59.04 per cent in mutant 1 (C1) at 5^th day in comparison to without glucose i.e. 36.21% in C1 at 3^rd day. This research deduced that although, reduction is maximum in Aspergillus niger, but Curvularia andropogonis has the advantage because it was not forming the met on the surface hence, allow the sunlight to reach to flora and fauna and at the same time it grow as suspension. Here, first time we are reportingthe work with Curvularia andropogonis as there was no report with this fungus in reference tobioremediation.