Di--butyl phthalate degrading endophytic bacterium strain JR20 isolated from garlic chive and its colonization in a leafy vegetable.

Di--butyl phthalate (DBP) is one of the primary PAEs (phthalate acid esters) pollutants. DBP can be absorbed by plants and threaten human health via the food chain. Some DBP-degrading bacteria have been successfully isolated from the environment (water, soil, etc.). However, only a few DBP-degrading plant endophytes have been isolated. In this study, an endophytic bacterium, subsp. strain JR20, which was found capable of degrading DBP, was isolated from garlic chive. We found that strain JR20 metabolized 89.74% of DBP at a 5 mg/L concentration within 4 d in liquid mineral salts medium (MSM). The optimized conditions for maximum removal of DBP were as follows: DBP concentration, 5 mg/L; pH, 7-8; temperature, 30-40 °C. The colonization of strain JR20 significantly improved the degradation rate of DBP in the roots, stems and leaves of leafy vegetables.