PRODUCTION OF ALKALINE PROTEASE BY BACILLUS SUBTILIS AND ITS APPLICATION AS A DEPILATING AGENT IN LEATHER PROCESSING

The work describes the production of alkaline protease in a lab scale fermentor from Bacillus subtilis IH-72. The production of alkaline protease was enhanced by optimization of cultural conditions in a stirred fermentor. The alkaline protease so produced was applied to the goat skin for the removal of hair. The skin pieces were treated in three different ways; singly with the enzyme, in combination with the lime sulphide and singly with lime sulphide. The best results with the skin processing were obtained, when skin was treated with crude enzyme in combination with 7 % lime sulphide. The quality of pelt (color, grain, stretch, scud etc) and physical properties of the finally prepared leather (tensile strength, tear strength, bursting strength etc) were also improved with the use of proteolytic enzymes produced by Bacillus subtilis IH-72.