Identifying Microorganisms Able to Perform Biodegradation of Leather Industry Waste

Abstract

Among the waste generated in leather processing, proteic and lipidic compounds are particularly dominant. Enzymes, like proteases and lipases, have an important role in biodegradation of collagen, keratin and fats in leather waste. Present investigation deals with isolation, selection and characterization of proteolytic and lipolytic microorganisms in order to perform biodegradation of waste from leather industry. The inoculum of microorganisms was sampled from old waste storage dump leather. The proteolytic microorganisms were isolated using screening method in presence of casein and gelatin substrate type, respectively. The microorganisms that secrete the lipolytic enzymes were isolated using medium that contained the Tween 80. These microorganisms identified by microscopic analysis can be used for improvement of waste leather biodegradation process.

Keywords:

• Biodegradation
• enzymes
• leather
• lipase
• protease

Acknowledgments

“This work has benefited from financial support through the 2010 POSDRU/89/1.5/S/52432 project, „ORGANIZING THE NATIONAL INTEREST POSTDOCTORAL SCHOOL OF „APPLIED BIOTECHNOLOGIES” WITH IMPACT ON ROMANIAN BIOECONOMY”, project co-financed by the European Social Fund through the Sectoral Operational Programme Human Resources Development 2007–2013.”