P. chrysosporium BW808 (MTCC 787) was used for enzyme production to treat different synthetic melanoidins solutions namely sucrose-glutamic acid (SGA), sucrose-aspartic acid (SAA), glucose-aspartic acid (GAA) and glucose-glutamic acid (GGA) Maillard products which are mixed in equal proportions as well as real melanoidins. Treatment efficiency was monitored in terms of clarification, color removal, COD reduction, pH change for an incubation period of 10 days. Results showed that Laccase, Lignin Peroxidase (LiP) and Manganese Peroxidase (MnP) activities reached a peak on the eighth day incubation and started to decline on the tenth day with both SMM (Synthetic melanoidin mixture) and RM (real melanoidin). The peroxidase enzymes were developed to a similar extent in both the SMM and real melanoidins whereas the Laccase activity was higher at 120 U/l with SMM than with real melanoidins which was 100 U/l. The optimum pH range of the three enzymes under investigation laccase, lignin peroxidase and manganese peroxidase is 4.5-6; 4.5 -5.5 and 4.5-5.5 respectively. Laccase showed higher activity with SMM than with real melanoidins throughout the entire pH range from 3-8. There is maximum decolorization and appreciable reduction of COD from 10% to 60 % in SMM and 10% to 56% in RM at ph 5.5. The clarification and decolorization were measured by % transmittance and absorbance values respectively. The synthetic melanoidins were clarified and decolorized a little better than the melanoidins collected from the distillery. The development of enzymes in the broth culture is crucial to the clarification, decolorization and reduction of COD of in both real melanoidins (RM) and mixture of synthetic melanoidins (SMM).
