A Study to Reduce Salt Usage in Preservation of Skins and Hides with Alternate Use of Plant Extract

Raw hides and skin are preserved before processed into leather. Salt preservation is the general and age old popular practice. Possibilities of using other methods of preservations have been analysed in order to reduce the pollution load in the soaking process of leather by many scientist. However, in the present study less salt preserving systems based on herbal extract have been investigated and evaluated at ambient temperature of 30-37oC as alternative preservation system. The efficacy of this alternative system was assessed by parameters such as determination of bacterial count, isolation and characterization of microorganism from raw goat skin, antimicrobial activity by using herbal extraction with well diffusion method, percentage weight loss during storage of cured skin, determination of hydrothermal stability of the skin and physical properties of finished leather was conducted. 12 plants were screened for antimicrobial assay among which only 5 plants had antimicrobial activity Weddilia chininsis, Cassia alatta, Clerodentron pholomides, Solanum trilobotum, Calotropis procera. Hence these 5 plants were chosen for direct application on the skin along with reduced percentage of NaCl.