Elimination and detoxification of fungicide miconazole and antidepressant sertraline by manganese peroxidase-dependent lipid peroxidation system

• Treatment of imidazole fungicide miconazole (MCZ) with ligninolytic enzymes.
• Treatment of antidepressant sertraline (SER) with ligninolytic enzymes.
• MCZ is effectively eliminated by manganese peroxidase (MnP) with Tween 80.
• MnP-Tween 80 system completely removes bacterial growth inhibition of MCZ.
• MnP-Tween 80 system is effective in eliminating SER and its ecotoxicity.

The imidazole fungicide miconazole (MCZ) and the antidepressant sertraline (SER) have the potential to adversely affect aquatic organisms when they are released into the environment. To assess if they could be broken down, MCZ and SER were treated with laccase and manganese peroxidase (MnP) from lignin-degrading white-rot fungi. The MnP-dependent lipid peroxidation system with Tween 80 containing unsaturated fatty acid was effective in eliminating MCZ and SER; the MnP-Tween 80 system helped eliminate 88% of MCZ and 85% of SER after 24 h of treatment. Furthermore, this system eliminated a metabolite of SER (desmethylsertraline or DSER), and no differences between the elimination rates of DSER and SER were observed throughout the treatment period. It was also confirmed that the MnP-Tween 80 system caused a complete loss of growth inhibition by MCZ of the gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis and reduced the growth inhibition by SER of the green alga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata by 78% after 24 h of treatment. On the other hand, no appreciable elimination of MCZ and SER was obtained by treatment with laccase, MnP, or the laccase-mediator system with 1-hydroxybenzotriazole.