Optimizing fungal unhairing in bovine skin with Fusarium oxysporum

GALARZA, BETINA; GARRO, L; FERRERI N; ELÍADES, LORENA ALEJANDRA; HOURS, ROQUE

Congreso; XXXVI IULTCS Congress, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia; 2023

The global context of climate change and the events related to the origin of the COVID-19 pandemic call for a paradigm shift in industrial process technologies. Enzymatic unhairing is presented as a sustainable alternative: not only reduces the emissions of hydrogen sulfide, but its biotechnology obtaining is friendly to the environment. However, their characterization through their enzymatic activity and histological action is necessary. Fungal enzymatic extract (EE) was obtained in a batch liquid medium using substrate from hair-saving unhairing process. Keratinolytic activity (quantitative test) was 2.7 U ker and protein 0.6 μg / ml. EE was tested at laboratory scale on submerged bovine skin with biocide 0.2% w/w, anionic 0.1%, non-ionic 0.5% tensioactives in soaking and unhairing, incubated at 37°C in shaking. Different conditions of EE were tested: dilutions (1:1, 1:2, 1:4) with buffer Tris-HCl 0.1 M, pH 9 and incubation times (24 h and 48 h). Controls were tested in the same conditions without EE. Samples of skin were observed by SEM. According to the morphological changes, score was defined to the following parameters: hair, epidermis with normal patterns; detachment of hair follicle sheath; absence of epidermis; empty hair follicles- visible dermal papilla. Results have shown the highest values with EE 1:1, 48 h and 24 h. In 1: 4, 24 h and 48 h, the average values were lower, control samples were close to zero. In conclusion, the observations have shown a linear correlation between the EE conditions and its action on the skin.