Microbial Enzymes Involved in Polyurethane Biodegradation: A Review |
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Authors: | Araceli Loredo-Treviño Gerardo Gutiérrez-Sánchez Raúl Rodríguez-Herrera Cristóbal N Aguilar |
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Institution: | (1) Group of Bioprocesses, School of Chemistry, University of Coahuila, Saltillo, 25280, Mexico;(2) Biotechnology Department, School of Chemistry, University of Coahuila, Saltillo, 25280, Mexico;(3) Complex Carbohydrate Research Center, The University of Georgia, 315 Riverbend Road, Athens, GA 30602, USA; |
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Abstract: | Plastics are present in a lot of aspects of everyday life. They are very versatile and resistant to microbial attack. Polyurethanes
are used in several industries and are divided in polyester and polyether polyurethanes and there are different types among
them. Despite their microbial resistance, they are susceptible to the attack of fungi and bacteria but the mechanism to elucidate
its biodegradation are unknown. There are reports from bacteria and fungi that are capable of degrading polyurethane but the
studies about the enzymes that attack the plastic are focused on bacterial enzymes only. The enzymes reported are of type
esterase and protease mainly since these enzymes are very unspecific and can recognize some regions in the polyurethane molecule
and hydrolyze it. Fungal enzymes have been studied prior the 1990s decade but recently, some authors report the use of filamentous
fungi to degrade polyurethane and also report some characteristics of the enzymes involved in it. This review approaches polyurethane
biodegradation by focusing on the enzymes reported to date. |
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