Biotechnology and Molecular Biology Reviews Vol. 1(4), pp. 115-120, December 2006
ISSN 1538-2273 © 2006 Academic Journals

Mini Review
 

Lacasses in the textile industry

Susana Rodríguez Couto* and José Luis Toca-Herrera*

Department of Chemical Engineering, Rovira i Virgili University.

Av. Països Catalans 26, 43007 Tarragona, Spain

Phone: +34 977 55 9617; Fax.: +34 977 55 9667

*Coressponding authors: E-mails: susana.rodriguez@urv.cat, joseluis.toca@urv.cat.

Accepted 13 November, 2006

The search for efficient and green oxidation technologies has increased the interest in the use of enzymes to replace the conventional non-biological methods. Among the different existing oxidant enzymes, laccases (benzenediol: oxygen oxidoreductases; EC 1.10.3.2) have been subject of intensive research in the last decades due to their low substrate specificity. The use of laccases in the textile industry is growing very fast, since besides to decolourise textile effluents, laccases are used to bleach textiles, modify the surface of fabrics and synthetise dyes. Therefore, laccase-based processes might replace the traditionally high chemical, energy and water-consuming textile operations. The present paper offers an overview of the laccase applications in the textile industry up to date.