Dyeing of wool fibres with natural dyes: effect of proteolytic enzymes

In spite of the widespread use of proteins (casein, peptone, etc.) and protein fragments as a substrate for the proteolytic enzymes, a substrate prepared from dyes that adsorb onto appropriate materials, such as wool and cotton, are also used for enzyme activity determination. In the point of view of this thought, it was our aim to develop the substrates which are easily and economically obtainable and also environmentally safer for the frequently used proteolytic enzymes, such as subtilisin carlsberg, trypsin, chymotrypsin, and protease type XVI and, if possible, to prepare the specific substrate at least for one of these enzymes. For this aim, wool was dyed with natural dyes such as juglone, lawsone, berberine, and quercetin. The optimum pH, incubation time, and agitation rate were determinated. The results indicate that, of all the tested enzymes on wool-dye complex as an insoluble substrate, the most appropriate complex was found to be wool-lawsone complex.