Eco-friendly dehairing of goat leather using indigenous rumen microorganisms: Physicochemical and sensory evaluations

The tanning industry is burdened with substantial environmental concerns, especially due to hazardous chemicals used in dehairing and chrome tanning processes. This research investigates the application of indigenous microorganisms (IMO) derived from rumen fluid, integrated with gambier-based vegetable tanning, to create an eco-friendly dehairing method for goat hides while examining its effects on their physicochemical and sensory characteristics.

Dehairing goat leather using enzymes from IMO of rumen fluid is an environmentally friendly alternative. This study evaluated the impact of rumen liquid IMO on the dehairing process of gambier goat leather and its physicochemical and sensory properties.

This study used 20 pieces of goat leather and rumen liquid. This study used an experimental method with a completely randomized design, five treatments, and four replications. The treatments included soaking the skin in rumen liquid IMO for 0-4 days and adding 6% lime.

The results showed that the use of rumen fluid IMO in the dehairing process significantly affected (p < 0.05) the tensile strength, elongation, rawhide substance, degree of tanning, water-soluble substances, and sensory value. Nonetheless, they exerted no substantial impact (p > 0.05) on Zwik strength, moisture, fat, bound tannin, and ash content.

The best treatment in terms of physicochemical and sensory properties on goat skin is soaking for three days in rumen fluid IMO, with the following characteristics: the meat part is clean from meat residue, the skin condition is quite soft, the skin color is yellowish brown, and the skin surface is smooth, where the test meets the SNI quality standards of 06-0463-1989.