Organophosphates are widely used pesticide in various agricultural fields causing soil pollution and has health hazards. The persistence nature of these pesticides in environment and its toxic effect on biodiversity make it necessary for rapid removal from the environment. A study was undertaken to determine the effect of organophosphate malathion on growth and biochemical activities of Aspergillus niger with an aim to examine the potential of the fungus for decontamination of malathion from soil. The fungus was treated for five days at an initial inoculums of 103 spores/ml on exposure to graded concentrations of malathion (10-1000 mM). The species was affected differentially by malathion, with concentrations up to 50 mM causing growth acceleration and toxicity observed thereafter. Quite a significant growth of organism was obtained at 1000 μM on prolongation indicating the high tolerant nature of the fungus towards pesticide. As expected there was biochemical alteration of cellular metabolism resulting in the reduction of cellular protein and carbohydrate and concentration dependent changes of carbohydrate enzymes (cellulase, invertase and amylase) and dehydrogenase. There was also major change in stress enzymes like phosphatases and esterases, both the enzymes being more active as a response to insecticide treatment. Enhanced activities of these enzymes was considered to be the basis for tolerance of the fungus to high concentrations of malathion.
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