Microflora degradation mechanism

By far the most predominant metabolic pathway for water-soluble azo dyes is cleavage of the azo linkage by azoreductase of the liver and extrahepatic tissue or by intestinal microflora in the body [25,26], Oxidative metabolism occurs for lipid-soluble dyes, e.g., solvent dyes. Three oxidation pathways are known for such dyes (1) C-(ring-)hydroxylation, (2) A-hydroxylation at a primary or secondary amino group or (3) by stepwise oxidation of the methyl groups of dimethylamino compounds (demethylation). All three oxidative degradation ways leave the azo bond intact. For further details of the mechanisms, see [27,28],... 

---