Keratinase H328 and Keratinase H328-Proteinase K Treatments for Wool Surface

Abstract

Environmentally friendly modification of the wool cuticle to enhance wool fabric comfort is an important goal for the industry. The present study describes the effect of a keratinase from Meiothermus ruber H328 (Keratinase H328) on wool fiber keratin. Keratinase H328 treatment corroded the wool scale. The effect was characterized by physicochemical analyses using scanning electron microscopy (SEM), amino acid analysis, and Fourier-transform infrared-attenuated total reflectance (FTIR-ATR). Subsequently, Keratinase H328 treatment was combined with Proteinase K treatment for the wool fabric. Enzymatically treated wool fabric showed a higher moisture regain than its control at 80% and 90% R.H. The keratinase-proteinase treatment reduced the maximum tensile strain and maximum stress without altering Youngʼs modulus significantly.