Phorbol ester degradation in Jatropha seedcake using white rot fungi.

White rot fungi are well known for their ability to degrade a wide range of xenobiotics due to their enzymatic systems. Therefore, the present investigation was aimed at screening ten different white rot fungi for degradation of phorbol esters from Jatropha seedcake (JSC). The JSC was fermented with pure cultures of white rot fungi for 20 days under solid state condition. All the white rot fungi tested exhibited degradation of phorbol ester during fermentation of JSC without adversely influencing the nutritional properties of the seedcake. Ganoderma lucidum and Trametes zonata were found to degrade phorbol ester in JSC to undetectable levels. This study demonstrates the potential of white rot fungi for degradation of phorbol esters, a major anti-nutritional factor, in JSC preventing its utilization as cattle feed.