Oral
Abstract
Research summary supplied by the authors
The emerging technological interventions in leather manufacture are widely focussing on complete bioprocess manufacturing methods considering the future prognosis and industrial sustainability of leather sector. Enzyme assisted leather processing is a cleaner bioprocessing technology being practised in various leather processing stages. Leather industry predominantly focuses on three hydrolase enzymes viz., protease, amylase and lipase, which are used for unhairing, fiber opening and defleshing applications respectively. The process design for the single step enzymatic beamhouse operation with all the three enzymes application together for their specific action on the skin matrix is the way forward technology. This multi-enzyme application as biomimicking solution from human intestinal mechanism will significantly reduce the processing time, energy and effluent discharge. This paper focuses on utilizing multi-enzyme system (Protease, Amylase and Lipase – PAL) for performing single step beam house operation. The behavioural pattern of the enzyme in the presence of counter enzyme were understood using enzyme kinematics. The enzyme kinematics studies show that proteases activity were negligible on the counter enzymes viz., amylase and lipase. While a significant increase in the protease and lipase activity in PAL system were recorded. The PAL system processed goat skin were observed with complete unhairing and defleshing. The physical properties such as tensile strength with 21.91 N/mm2 and tear strength with 56.04 N/mm found to meet standard norms. Thus, the multi-enzyme beamhouse operation is the futuristic cleaner technology in leather manufacturing.