Biotransformation process of fluoroquinolones by the ligninolytic enzymes of Phanerochaete chrysosporium
Abstract
The increasing presence of antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones in the environment, originating from hospital, agricultural, industrial, and domestic effluents, poses a major threat to ecosystems and public health. In this study, we investigated the potential of the secretome of the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium , which contains key oxidative enzymes such as lignin peroxidases and manganese peroxidases, to biotransform these antibiotics. Two fluoroquinolones were selected: levofloxacin, commonly used in human medicine, and danofloxacin, widely applied in veterinary practices. Both compounds were tested at concentrations ranging from 5 to 25 mg/L. To maximize efficiency, key physicochemical parameters were optimized, including H₂O₂ and MnSO₄ concentrations, enzymatic activity, and the addition of chelators and mediators. The residual antimicrobial activity of the biotransformed antibiotics was assessed according to EUCAST guidelines. Lignin peroxidases were identified as the most effective enzymes, achieving up to 100% biotransformation of both fluoroquinolones under optimal conditions: 0.3 mM H₂O₂, 10 U/mL enzymatic activity, and absence of MnSO₄. Moreover, the transformation products exhibited markedly lower toxicity than the parent compounds, as confirmed by a plant germination assay. The potential transformation pathways and resulting by-products were identified using LC–MS/MS analysis. These pathways involved dealkylation, hydroxylation, and oxidation (observed only for levofloxacin), yielding dealkylated, hydroxylated, and oxidized derivatives of the original fluoroquinolones.
Related
- Characterization of three new manganese peroxidase genes from the ligninolytic basidiomycete Ceriporiopsis subvermispora
- 133 In vitro comparison of the stability and biotransformation of sac-TMT and control antibody-drug conjugates in human plasma
- Loss of restriction-modification methyltransferases drives persistence to fluoroquinolones in Pseudomonas aeruginosa
- Indication-related misuse of oral fluoroquinolones in adults by general practitioners in France
- Multienzyme cascade biotransformation of L-Tyrosine to Danshensu by engineered Escherichia coli
BibTeX
@article{barghouthi2026biotransformation,
title = {{Biotransformation process of fluoroquinolones by the ligninolytic enzymes of Phanerochaete chrysosporium}},
author = {Chadha Barghouthi and Karima Staita and Faten Ahmed and Julien Lambert and Annick Turbé-Doan and Isabelle Gimbert and Anne Lomascolo and Hela Zouari-Mechichi and Hamza Arrach and Amine Ezzariai and Tahar Mechichi and Eric Record},
journal = {Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances},
year = {2026},
month = aug,
doi = {10.1016/j.hazadv.2026.101479},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05732545v1},
note = {CC BY-NC-ND},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Biotransformation process of fluoroquinolones by the ligninolytic enzymes of Phanerochaete chrysosporium
AU - Chadha Barghouthi
AU - Karima Staita
AU - Faten Ahmed
AU - Julien Lambert
AU - Annick Turbé-Doan
AU - Isabelle Gimbert
AU - Anne Lomascolo
AU - Hela Zouari-Mechichi
AU - Hamza Arrach
AU - Amine Ezzariai
AU - Tahar Mechichi
AU - Eric Record
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/08/31
JO - Journal of Hazardous Materials Advances
DO - 10.1016/j.hazadv.2026.101479
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05732545v1
AB - The increasing presence of antibiotics such as fluoroquinolones in the environment, originating from hospital, agricultural, industrial, and domestic effluents, poses a major threat to ecosystems and public health. In this study, we investigated the potential of the secretome of the white-rot fungus Phanerochaete chrysosporium , which contains key oxidative enzymes such as lignin peroxidases and manganese peroxidases, to biotransform these antibiotics. Two fluoroquinolones were selected: levofloxacin, commonly used in human medicine, and danofloxacin, widely applied in veterinary practices. Both compounds were tested at concentrations ranging from 5 to 25 mg/L. To maximize efficiency, key physicochemical parameters were optimized, including H₂O₂ and MnSO₄ concentrations, enzymatic activity, and the addition of chelators and mediators. The residual antimicrobial activity of the biotransformed antibiotics was assessed according to EUCAST guidelines. Lignin peroxidases were identified as the most effective enzymes, achieving up to 100% biotransformation of both fluoroquinolones under optimal conditions: 0.3 mM H₂O₂, 10 U/mL enzymatic activity, and absence of MnSO₄. Moreover, the transformation products exhibited markedly lower toxicity than the parent compounds, as confirmed by a plant germination assay. The potential transformation pathways and resulting by-products were identified using LC–MS/MS analysis. These pathways involved dealkylation, hydroxylation, and oxidation (observed only for levofloxacin), yielding dealkylated, hydroxylated, and oxidized derivatives of the original fluoroquinolones.
SN - 2772-4166
ER -