Increasing manganese peroxidase production and biodecolorization of triphenylmethane dyes by novel fungal consortium

► A fungal consortium-SR was developed for decolorization. ► The fungal consortium-SR produced more MnP than that of the monoculture. ► The fungal consortium-SR decolored three dyes with a high efficiency. ► For decolorization, time of dye addition was an important factor. A fungal consortium-SR consisting of Trametes sp. SQ01 and Chaetomium sp. R01 was developed for decolorizing three kinds of triphenylmethane dyes, which were decolorized by individual fungi with low efficiencies. The fungal consortium-SR produced 1.3Uml−1 of manganese peroxidase, 5.5 times higher than that produced by the monoculture of Trametes sp. SQ01, and decolorized Crystal Violet, Coomassie Brilliant Blue G250 (CBB G250) and Cresol Red. The fungal consortium-SR had a decolorization rate of 63–96%, much higher than that of the monoculture of strain SQ01 (38–72%). In consortium-SR, the higher efficiencies of decolorization of Crystal Violet and CBB G250 were obtained when they added to the culture after 4d of mixed cultivation rather than at the beginning of cultivation. Cresol Red was the exception. It is suggested that the consortium-SR has great potential for decolorizing triphenylmethane dyes.