Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Eco-friendly enzymatic dehairing of skins and hides by C. brefeldianus protease

  • Original Paper
  • Published:
Clean Technologies and Environmental Policy Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Alkaline protease from Conidiobolus brefeldianus was efficient in unhairing various types of skins and hides. The crude protease preparation was active toward keratin-azure, elastin-orcin, azocasein, and azocoll, but did not show true collagenase activity. In addition, the crude enzyme exhibited other enzyme activities such as chondroitinase, laminarase, and chitinase. Complete hair removal of skin/hide by the protease achieved in 16–18 h. The dehaired pelt showed smooth and white appearance due to hair removal along with epidermal layer. In addition, the grain was clean and without damage in enzymatically dehaired pelts. The microscopic observation of the cross-section of dehaired goat skin and cow hide showed absence of epidermis, hair shaft with empty follicles. Enzymatic dehairing resulted in complete and uniform fiber opening in the dermis and corium region. Physical properties viz. tensile strength, elongation, and tear strength of dyed crust of enzymatically and conventionally dehaired pelts were comparable. Results were also validated on large scale with goat skins and cow hides.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5
Fig. 6
Fig. 7
Fig. 8
Fig. 9
Fig. 10
Fig. 11
Fig. 12

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Anderson LP (1998) Methods for dehairing of hides or skins by means of enzymes. US Patent 5,834,299

  • Archana G, Pillai P (2012) Biochemical characteristics and possible mechanism of proteases for dehairing of hides; biotechnology of microbial enzymes. Nova Science Publishers, Huntington, pp 189–211. ISBN 978-1-62100-131-7

  • Arunachalam C, Saritha K (2009) Protease enzyme: an ecofriendly alternative for leather industry. Indian J Sci Technol 2:29–32

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bernfeld P (1955) Amylase α and b. Methods Enzymol 1:149–158

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bressollier P, Letourneau F, Urdaci M, Verneuil B (1999) Purification and characterization of a keratinolytic serine proteinase from Streptomyces albidoflavus. Appl Environ Microbiol 65:2570–2576

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Choudhary RB, Jana AK, Jha MK (2004) Enzyme technology applications in leather processing. Indian J Chem Technol 11:659–671

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dayanandan A, Kanagaraj J, Sounderraj L, Govindaraju R, Rajkumar GS (2003) Application of an alkaline protease in leather processing: an ecofriendly approach. J Clean Prod 11:533–536

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dettmer A, Ayub MAZ, Gutterres M (2011) Hide unhairing and characterization of commercial enzymes used in leather manufacture. Braz J Chem Eng 28:373–380

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Edmonds R (2008) Proteolytic depilation of lambskins. PhD Thesis, Massey University, Palmerston North

  • Foroughi F, Keshavarz T, Evans CS (2006) Specificities of proteases for use in leather manufacture. J Chem Technol Biotechnol 81:257–261

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Haddar A, Hmidet N, Bellaaj OG, Zouari NF, Kamoun AS, Nasri M (2011) Alkaline proteases produced by Bacillus licheniformis RP1 grown on shrimp wastes: application in chitin extraction, chicken feathered gradation and as a dehairing agent. Biotechnol Bioprocess Eng 16:669–678

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • http://www.leatherindia.org/index.asp. Accessed March 2013

  • Kandasamy N, Velmurugan P, Sundarvel A, Jonnalagadda RR, Bangaru C, Palanisamy T (2012) Eco-benign enzymatic dehairing of goat skins utilizing a protease from Pseudomonas fluorescens species isolated from fish visceral waste. J Clean Prod 25:27–33

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Kulkarni SA, Ghormade V, Kulkarni G, Kapoor M, Chavan SB, Rajendra A, Patil SK, Shouche Y, Deshpande MV (2008) Comparison of Metarhizium isolates for biocontrol of Helicoverpa armigera (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) in chickpea. Biocontrol Sci Technol 18:809–828

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Laxman RS, Sonawane AP, More SV, Rao BS, Rele MV, Jogdand VV, Deshpande VV, Rao MB (2005) Optimization and scale up of production of alkaline protease from Conidiobolus coronatus. Process Biochem 40:3152–3158

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Laxman RS, More SV, Rele MV, Rao BS, Jogdand VV, Rao M, Deshpande VV, Naidu RB, Manikandan P, Ashokkumar D, Kanagraj J, Samyavaram R, Natesan S, Puvankrishnan R (2007) Process for preparation of alkaline protease. US Patent 7,186,546 (granted in 2007)

  • Laxman RS, Khandelwal HB, More SV, Kalal KM, Narasimhan CBK, Palanivel S, Balaram P (2011a) Enzymes from Conidiobolus brefeldianus and process for preparation thereof. PCT number IB/2011/000516

  • Laxman RS, Shankar S, Khandelwal HB, More SV, Narasimhan CBK, Palanivel S, Balaram P (2011b) A novel fungal strain of Beauveria sp. and a process for preparation of enzymes thereof. PCT number IB/2011/000178

  • Macedo AJ, Silva WOB, Gava R, Driemerier D, Henriques JAP, Termignoni C (2005) Novel keratinase from Bacillus subtilis S14 exhibiting remarkable dehairing capabilities. Appl Environ Microbiol 71:594–596

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Madhavi J, Srilakshmi J, Rao MVR, Rao KRSS (2011) Efficient leather dehairing by bacterial thermostable protease. Int J Biosci Biotechnol 3:11–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Malathi S, Chakraborty R (1999) Production of alkaline protease by a new Aspergillus flavus isolate under solid substrate fermentation conditions for use as a depilation agent. Appl Environ Microbiol 57:712–716

    Google Scholar 

  • Mitra PK, Chakrabartty PK (2005) An extracellular protease with depilation activity from Streptomyces nogalator. J Sci Ind Res 64:978–983

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Nadeem M, Qazi JI, Baig S (2010) Enhanced production of alkaline protease by a mutant of Bacillus licheniformis N-2 for dehairing. Braz Arch Biol Biotechnol 53:1015–1025

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Nagal S, Kango N, Jain PC (2010) Production of alkaline protease from Elizabethkingia meningoseptica KB042 using chicken feathers. Ann Microbiol 60:629–635

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pal S, Banaerjee R, Bhattacharya BC (1996) Application of a proteolytic enzyme in tanneries as a depilating agent. J Am Leather Chem Assoc 91:59–63

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pillai P, Archana G (2008) Hide depilation and feather disintegration studies with keratinolytic serine protease from a novel Bacillus subtilis isolate. Appl Microbiol Biotechnol 78:643–650

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Prakash P, Jayalakshmi SK, Sreeramulu K (2010) Production of keratinase by free and immobilized cells of Bacillus halodurans strain PPKS-2: partial characterization and its application in feather degradation and dehairing of the goat skin. Appl Biochem Biotechnol 160:1909–1920

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rajkumar R, Jayappriyanon KR, Rengasamy R (2011) Purification and characterization of a protease produced by Bacillus megaterium RRM2: application in detergent and dehairing industries. J Basic Microbiol 51:614–624

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Raju AA, Chandrababu NK, Samivelu N, Rose C, Rao M (1996) Eco-Friendly dehairing using extracellular proteases from a Bacillus species isolate. J Am Leather Chem Assoc 91:115–119

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Robison RS, Roselle Nickerson WJ (1961) Enzymatic dehairing of hides and skins. US Patent 2,988,488

  • Rose C, Suguna L, Samivelu N, Rathinasamy V, Ramalingam S, Iyappan K, Parvathaleswara T, Ramasami T (2007) Process for lime and sulfide free unhairing of skins or hides using animal/ or plant enzymes. US Patent 7,198,647

  • Saleem M, Rehman A, Yasmin R, Munir B (2012) Biochemical analysis and investigation on the prospective applications of alkaline protease from a Bacillus cereus strain. Mol Biol Rep 39:6399–6408

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Saravananbhavan S, Aravindhan R, Thanikaivelan P, Rao JR, Nair BU, Ramasami T (2005) A source reduction approach: integrated bio-based tanning methods and the role of enzymes in dehairing and fiber opening. Clean Technol Environ Policy 7:3–14

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Senthilvelan T, Kanagaraj J, Mandal AB (2012) Application of enzymes for dehairing of skins: cleaner leather processing. Clean Technol Environ Policy. doi:10.1007/s10098-012-0458-5

    Google Scholar 

  • Singh J, Vohra RM, Sahoo DK (1999) Alkaline protease from a new obligate alkalophilic isolate of Bacillus sphaericus. Biotechnol Lett 21:921–924

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sivasubramanian S, Manohar BM, Puvanakrishnan R (2008a) Mechanism of enzymatic dehairing of skins using a bacterial alkaline protease. Chemosphere 70:1025–1034

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sivasubramanian S, Manohar BM, Rajaram A, Puvanakrishnan R (2008b) Ecofriendly lime and sulfide free enzymatic dehairing of skins and hides using a bacterial alkaline protease. Chemosphere 70:1015–1024

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sundararajan S, Kannan CS, Chittibabu S (2011) Alkaline protease from Bacillus cereus VITSN04: potential application as a dehairing agent. J Biosci Bioeng 11:128–133

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Thanikaivelan P, Rao JR, Nair UB, Ramasami T (2005) Recent trends in leather making: processes, problems, and pathways. Crit Rev Environ Sci Technol 35:37–79

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Verma A, Pal HS, Singh R, Agarwal S (2011) Potential of alkaline protease isolated from Thermoactinomyces sp. RM4 as an alternative to conventional chemicals in leather industry dehairing process. Int J Agric Environ Biotechnol 4:173–178

    Google Scholar 

  • Zambare VP, Nilegaonkar SS, Kanekar PP (2007) Production of an alkaline protease by Bacillus cereus MCM B-326 and its application as a dehairing agent. World J Microbiol Biotechnol 23:1569–1574

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zambare V, Nilegaonkar S, Kanekar P (2011) A novel extracellular protease from Pseudomonas aeruginosa MCM B-327: enzyme production and its partial characterization. N Biotechnol 28:174–181

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgments

Mr. Harish Khandelwal is grateful to the Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) for financial assistance. Authors acknowledge the financial support from NMITLI Project funded by CSIR, Government of India.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Division of Biochemical Sciences, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, 411 008, India

    Harish B. Khandelwal, Snehal V. More & R. Seeta Laxman

  2. Division of Organic Chemistry, National Chemical Laboratory, Pune, 411 008, India

    K. M. Kalal

Authors
  1. Harish B. Khandelwal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Snehal V. More
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. K. M. Kalal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. R. Seeta Laxman
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to R. Seeta Laxman.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Khandelwal, H.B., More, S.V., Kalal, K.M. et al. Eco-friendly enzymatic dehairing of skins and hides by C. brefeldianus protease. Clean Techn Environ Policy 17, 393–405 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-014-0791-y

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10098-014-0791-y

Keywords

Search

Navigation