Alkaline-Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Wool Waste for Different Applications

Wool waste represents a valuable and renewable material with low level of valorization and high potential to be integrated in bioeconomy. The extraction of keratin from wool by-products generated by sheep breeders and furskin industry represents a valuable approach for reducing the environmental pollution with organic and heavy biodegradable waste and a possibility to use a renewable product in agriculture or different industries. Keratin hydrolysates were obtained by alkaline and alkaline-enzymatic hydrolysis with extraction yields of 16.4-43.5%. The obtained keratin hydrolysates were characterized by physical-chemical analysis (dry substance, nitrogen content, pH, ash etc), FT-IR spectra, Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS), electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) and surface tension (VCA Optima XE). Alkaline and alkaline-enzymatic hydrolyses of wool waste showed the possibility to obtain different keratin polypeptides with suitable properties for application in leather industry or in agriculture.