Investigating the Papain Enzyme's Potential for Sheepskin Unhairing

Abstract Sheepskin is a natural resource that finds wide applications in various industries, including leather production. Traditionally, unhairing has been achieved through harsh chemicals and mechanical methods, which can be detrimental to the environment and compromise the quality of the final product. The primary objective of this research is to investigate the Papain Enzyme's Potential for Sheepskin Unhairing. The main factors involved in the experiment with their respective levels were the enzyme concentration in percent (1, 1.5, 2), temperature in degrees Celsius (25, 32.5, 40), and incubation time in minutes (60, 80, 120). The dependent variables studied were the unhairing efficiency of papain enzyme in percent. The results of the study demonstrated that papain enzyme exhibited significant unhairing potential for sheepskin. Increasing the temperature during the unhairing process can enhance enzyme activity, speeding up the breakdown of proteins in the hair and making it easier to remove. However, excessively high temperatures can also damage the skin, leading to reduced quality. However, as the incubation time increases the unhairing efficiency decreases, and as time goes on the strength of the skin decreases. The findings of this research contribute to the development of eco-friendly approaches in the leather industry.