Hydrolytic action of facultetively anaerobic micro-organism on raw skins

Abstract

Hydrolysis of skin collagen by different proteolytic strains of facultatively anaerobic bacteria has been studied under both aerobic and anaerobic conditions of growth. Hydrolysis of skin collagen is found to be less when the organisms are grown anaerobically. Various factors like peptone concentration in the medium, period of incubation, temperature and skin-medium ratio influence the hydrolysis of skin collagen. Collagen hydrolysis is not encouraged by mixed bacterial cultures or by transferring the skin repeatedly to a fresh culture. Unhairing of skin by different proteolytic strains of bacteria is found to be comparatively rapid when the organisms are grown aerobically and when they are used in a mixed culture.