A comprehensive review on white-rot fungi for their pivotal role in degradation of pollutants

Abstract Considering the vast ability of White-rot fungi (WRF) enzymes to degrade a wide range of resistant contaminants and polymers, much interest has been evinced in the use of WRF and their enzymes in several environmental matrices. Bioremediation using microorganisms or their enzymes offers a promising approach to treating environmental pollutants by breaking them down or converting them into less harmful or non-toxic forms. This biological process effectively reduces the toxicity and environmental impact of various contaminants. This paper investigates the mechanisms underlying WRF’s ability to break down diversity of contaminants with focusing on the roles of their enzymatic resources. In contrast to traditional methods of pollution control, which often involve costly, chemical-intensive processes that can generate secondary pollutants, WRF offers a sustainable and economical alternative. They have the unique ability to degrade the various organic compounds; hence they are considered as nature’s best cleaners for breaking down stubborn organic matter. This review contains studies published from 1995 to 2025, providing a comprehensive overview of the enzymatic mechanisms, pollutant degradation pathways, and emerging applications of WRF in bioremediation like wastewater treatment, dye degradation organic pollutant degradation, plastic degradation and lignocellulosic biomass degradation with lignocellulolytic enzyme production is explored. The oxidative breakdown of chemical bonds by WRF not only depolymerizes complex pollutants but also contributes to their complete mineralization, presenting a promising approach for environmental cleanup, with that this article presents new opportunities for addressing environmental pollutants and then waste management by mycoremediation.