Kinetics of enzymatic unhairing by protease in leather industry

In leather industry, unhairing is a heavy pollution operation. The conventional lime-sulfide process produces a large amount of sulfide which is toxic to health and difficult to dispose. Moreover, conventional lime-sulfide process leads to the destruction of the hair causing increased COD, BOD and TDS loads in the effluent. As an alternative method, enzymatic unhairing is a promising clean technology. The main utilized enzyme preparations are proteases.There are many reports about enzymatic unhairing, most of which are qualitative. The kinetics of enzymatic unhairing by protease was discussed in this article. It will provide useful information to enzymatic unhairing. In our research, by analysis of the concentrations of released total protein in enzyme bath during protease unhairing, the good linearity between released total protein and square root of time (min^1/2) was obtained at the initial stage. The good linearity suggests that enzymatic unhairing by protease is a diffusion-controlled process at the initial stage. The analysis of kinetics of released saccharides also confirms the same conclusion. On the other hand, the same characteristics between the kinetics of released saccharides and that of released total protein further confirms that it is the hydrolysis of core protein by protease that leads to the degradation of proteoglycans and the release of protein and saccharides. However, in our tests, the kinetics of released collagen indicates that the injury to skin took place in 3-6 h. Therefore, it’s necessary to control the time of protease unhairing within an appropriate limit.     

Identification of fungal proteases potentially suitable for environmentally friendly cleaning-in-place in the dairy industry

Fourteen fungi were screened for ability to produce proteases with activity on milk protein. The proteases produced were assessed on a lab-scale in terms of their potential suitability for cleaning-in-place (CIP) in the dairy industry. Cleaning performance was assessed by determining the ability of the enzymes to remove an industrial-like milk fouling deposit from stainless steel. Based on the results observed, the extracellular protease activity produced by Schizophyllum commune was selected as most suitable for potential CIP application. A CIP procedure involving a sodium carbonate rinse followed by enzymatic cleaning with this fungal enzyme activity was developed. Satisfactory cleaning, judged by quantification of residual organic matter and protein on the stainless steel surface after cleaning, was achieved using the developed CIP procedure at 40 °C. This CIP procedure, based on biodegradable enzymes working at low temperature is more environmentally favourable than conventional CIP methods using caustic based cleaning solutions at 70-80 °C. Potential environmental benefits of the developed enzymatic CIP procedure include reduced energy consumption, decreased chemical usage and a reduced requirement for pH neutralisation of the resultant waste prior to release.     

Effects of protein-constrained brood food on honey bee (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Apis mellifera</Emphasis> L.) pollen foraging and colony growth

Pollen is the sole source of protein for honey bees, most importantly used to rear young. Honey bees are adept at regulating pollen stores in the colonies based on the needs of the colony. Mechanisms for regulation of pollen foraging in honey bee are complex and remain controversial. In this study, we used a novel approach to test the two competing hypothesis of pollen foraging regulation. We manipulated nurse bee biosynthesis of brood food using a protease inhibitor that interferes with midgut protein digestion, significantly decreasing the amount of protein extractable from hypopharyngeal glands. Experimental colonies were given equal amounts of protease inhibitor-treated and untreated pollen. Colonies receiving protease inhibitor treatment had significantly lower hypopharyngeal gland protein content than controls. There was no significant difference in the ratio of pollen to nonpollen foragers between the treatments. Pollen load weights were also not significantly different between treatments. Our results supported the pollen foraging effort predictions generated from the direct independent effects of pollen on the regulation of pollen foraging and did not support the prediction that nurse bees regulate pollen foraging through amount of hypopharyngeal gland protein biosynthesis.