LEATHER AND WOOL BYPRODUCTS PROCESSING FOR BIOACTIVE ADDITIVES

Abstract

The leather industry byproducts and coarse wool are valuable bioresources, rich in bioactive proteins, but which are not fully exploited and represent a source of environmental pollution. The biomaterials based on native collagen and keratin are made using sophisticated methods of extraction, synthetic polymers, and organic solvents with toxic potential. The paper presents two methods for collagen gelatin extraction from rabbit skin and bovine pelt, and for keratin solubilization and enzymatic refinery, which were proved to be suitable for the fabrication of new collagen nanofibers and porous keratin powders compatible with wound healing formulations in dressing, creams or gel forms. The neutral and chemical-enzymatic-based technologies for bioactive protein extraction and refinery are presented as alternatives to more expensive and sophisticated methods for native collagen and keratin hydrogels used in making wound healing biomaterials. Bioactive collagen nanofibers and keratin powders for new wound-healing formulations and dressings were successfully obtained. The collagen extracts were found to have good properties for nanofiber fabrication, rabbit collagen showing exceptional characteristics and a high Bloom value. The use of collagen extracts, soluble in ecological solvents with spinnable properties from leather industry byproducts, as well as the preparation of keratin hydrolysate powders from wool waste represents an efficient approach for the capitalization of biomass and the development of new biomaterials with low toxic potential.

Keywords

• collagen
• keratin
• bioactive proteins
• nanofibers
• keratin powder
• biomaterials.