Effects of nonionic surfactant on hydrolysis and fermentation of protein rich tannery solid waste.

The untanned proteinaceous tannery solid waste, the animal fleshing (ANFL), was used as substrate in the treatment process (hydrolysis and fermentation) involving Synergistes sp. The nonionic surfactant (Tween 80) was evaluated for its ability to influence on microbial growth and enzyme activity in the hydrolysis and fermentation of ANFL. The addition of Tween 80 in the process significantly increased the activities of hydrolytic and fermentative enzymes like protease (338-360 Um l(-1)) and deaminase (187-206 Um l(-1)) compared to that of control (protease 195-220 Um l(-1) and deaminase 70-83 Um l(-1)). The total viable bacterial count was increased more than twofold, compared to the control in the presence of 0.15% Tween 80. The ANFL fermentation and formation of other metabolites were evidenced by Gas Chromatography and Mass Spectroscopy (GC-MS), Proton Nuclear Magnetic Resonance spectroscopy ((1)H NMR) and Fourier transform infra red spectroscopy (FT-IR). The breakdown of fibrillar proteins in ANFL was confirmed by the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the transmission electron microscopy (TEM).