Cleaner degreasing of sheepskins by the Yarrowia lipolytica LIP2 lipase as a chemical-free alternative in the leather industry

Conventional degreasing of skins and hides in the leather industry requires high amounts of organic solvents and detergents that cause environmental issues. In this study, the LIP2 lipase from the yeast Yarrowia lipolytica (YLLIP2) was shown to be effective in degreasing sheepskins, thus reducing the amount of harmful chemicals. Using 6 mg of lipase/kg of raw skin, successful degreasing was achieved in only 15 min at pH 8 and 30 degrees C. ToFSIMS mass spectra of chemically and enzymatically treated sheepskinsare consistent with a selective elimination process for the enzymatic treatment. Comparative SEM microscopy, ATR-FTIR spectroscopy and physicochemical analyses showed better properties of the enzymatically treated leather than those of the chemically treated leather. Effluent physicochemical parameters showed that the enzymatic treatment is a cleaner degreasing operation. Altogether, this work opens new horizons to use the YLLIP2 lipase as a more efficient alternative in the leather industry.

Automated summary

The study showed that using LIP2 lipase from Yarrowia lipolytica (YLLIP2) can effectively degrease sheepskins, reducing the need for harmful chemicals in the leather industry. The enzymatic treatment produced higher quality leather compared to chemical treatment, with cleaner effluent physicochemical parameters. This opens up new possibilities for a more efficient and environmentally friendly approach in leather production.