Reduction of methylene blue by bacillus sp.

Abstract

Methylene Blue (MB) was specifically decolorized by growing cells of Bacillus subtilis IFO 13719, B. pumilus IFO 12092, B. licheniformis IFO 12200 and B. circulans IFO 13626, although it was not decolorized by B. subtilis IFO 3022. A reaction product of MB was identified as leuco MB by TLC. The product was ultimately oxidized by air since it was not further metabolized by B. licheniformis IFO 122 00. MB was reduced by the growing cells and the cell homogenates of Bacillus sp., but it was not reduced by the washed cells. Consequently, it was suggested that the reduction of MB depends upon the structure and physiological condition of bacterial cell envelope.

Key words:

• Methylene Blue
• Leuco Methylene Blue
• reduction
• Bacillus licheniformis