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Wax worm saliva and the enzymes therein are the key to polyethylene degradation by Galleria mellonella
Summary
Researchers found that the saliva of Galleria mellonella (wax worm) larvae can oxidize and depolymerize polyethylene at room temperature within hours, overcoming the critical initial oxidation bottleneck in plastic biodegradation. Two specific enzymes within the saliva were identified as responsible for this capability, representing the first discovery of enzymes able to break down polyethylene under mild physiological conditions.
ABSTRACT Plastic degradation by biological systems with re-utilization of the by-products can be the future solution to the global threat of plastic waste accumulation. We report that the saliva of Galleria mellonella larvae (wax worms) is capable of oxidizing and depolymerizing polyethylene (PE), one of the most produced and sturdy polyolefin-derived plastics. This effect is achieved after a few hours’ exposure at room temperature and physiological conditions (neutral pH). The wax worm saliva can indeed overcome the bottleneck step in PE biodegradation, that is the initial oxidation step. Within the saliva, we identified two enzymes that can reproduce the same effect. This is the first report of enzymes with this capability, opening up the way to new ground-breaking solutions for plastic waste management through bio-recycling/up-cycling.