Affiliations: [a] Industrial Biotechnology Division, School of Bio Sciences and Technology, VIT University, Vellore, Tamil Nadu - 632014, India | [b] Central Leather Research Institute, Council of Scientific and Industrial Research, Adyar, Chennai, Tamil Nadu - 600020, India
Abstract: Environmental pollution is one of the major problems associated with rapid industrialization in developing countries. Tanneries generate huge amount of solid waste. Leather waste has been utilized for land filling, preparation of boards, soil fertilizer and animal feed. In the present study, solid leather waste was hydrolyzed with acid and alkali. The tanning agent was removed from the hydrolysate. The hydrolysate was analyzed for protein/amino acid content. The hydrolysate along with agar was used as solid media (Leather Hydrolysate Agar) for the cultivation of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli. The significant growth of bacteria on leather hydrolysate agar shows the possible use of leather waste hydrolysate in the preparation of microbiological media as well as supplement to bacteriological media.
Keywords: Leather waste, hydrolysis, leather hydrolysate agar, bacteriological media
