AN ASSESSMENT OF DIFFERENCES BETWEEN BUTT AND BELLY REGIONS OF INDIAN SHEEP SKIN

作者：Dagnew Negasa; Punitha Velmurugan; Sreeram Kalarical Janardhanan; Rao Jonnalagadda Raghava^*; Nair Balachandran Unni

来源：Journal of the American Leather Chemists Association, 2015, 110(6): 165-176.

Skins and hides undergo changes in biochemical and biophysical properties during the leather processing. Biochemical composition varies with respect to different portions of the skin like butt, belly, shank, and neck. Belly part looseness is the main problem in leather making from sheepskin. To address this issue, the present work focuses on analysis of histology and biochemical properties of butt and belly portion of sheepskin from the southern part of India. Globular proteins are relatively higher in the butt portion than the belly, whereas it is reverse in the case of fibrous proteins except collagen. Interestingly, the presence of proteoglycans content in butt regions is significantly high compared to belly and in case of fat content it is reverse. Acid soluble collagen contribution is higher in butt region than belly and vice-versa in the case of pepsin soluble collagen. In general, collagen content is significantly higher in butt than belly, which may be the major cause for the higher strength characteristics of butt regions. Cr2O3 content is higher in butt region than belly, which corroborates with protein content and its interaction with tanning agents. Distribution of pore size influences the breathability property of leather, which has been altered in all the unit operations. Scanning electron microscopy study reveals the morphology of the grain and cross-section of the skin changes during leather processing. Thus, this study aids in better understanding of the butt and belly regions of Indian sheepskin.

• 出版日期2015-6