Utilization of mycelial growth to study the tolerance of some white rot fungi to phenolic compounds

Abstract

Phanerochaete chrysosporium, Aureobasidium pu/lulans, Coriolus versicolor, Pleurotus ostreatus and Dichomitus sqoo/ens were some white-rot fungi selected to study the effect of increasing concentrations of phenol, catechol and resorcinol on the mycelial growth on solid media. The increasing concentrations of the phenolic compounds added to a mineral Czapec-Dox agar medium were progressively inhibitory up to a certain maximum value beyond which growth became impossible. P. ostreatu.s was the most affected fungus by the high concentrations used, following by C. versicolor, while P. chrysosporium, A. pul/ulans, and D. squalens tolerated better the presence of the phenolic compounds. It was observed that the toxicity of these compounds towards the microorganisms progressed in accordance to the following order: resorcinol< phenol<cathecol. Furthermore, the capability of growing at the expense of agar, agarose and gelatine as sole carbon and energy source was demonstrated by all the fungi.