Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Limed Trimmings: Preparation, Characterization and Application of Collagen Hydrolysate

摘要

Limed pelt trimmings are one of the solid wastes that are generated in leather processing. These wastes are valuable resources for producing collagen hydrolysate, which can be potentially used for retanning of leathers. This work establishes the preparation, characterization and application of collagen hydrolysate by enzymatic hydrolysis of limed trimmings. The collagen hydrolysate was prepared using various concentration of trypsin. The hydrolysate samples were characterized using Fast Protein Liquid Chromatography (FPLC) and Matrix Assisted Laser Desorption Ionization-Time of Flight (MALDI-TOF) techniques. About 6 predominant fractions of collagen hydrolysate peptides were observed from the enzymatic hydrolysis. The molecular weight of collagen hydrolysates was observed to be in the range between 1750 and 5800 daltons. The collagen hydrolysates prepared using various concentration (0.8, 1.0 and 1.2%) of trypsin were used for retanning process. The collagen hydrolysate product obtained from hydrolysis with (0.8% trypsin, 3 hours) exhibited better dye uptake when used as retanning agent. Furthermore, collagen hydrolysate retanned leathers exhibited very good strength properties in comparison to leathers processed using control protein syntan. The option of internalizing the waste on one side and using them as a substitute for a high value product on the other presents the utilization of limed trimming as a strong case for sustainable leather manufacture.