Identification And Characterization Of Red Heat Damage Causing Halophilic Microbes On Salted Sheepskin

A number of factors cause damage of skin and hide. Among these the major factor that did notrnget the attention of all stakeholders in Ethiopia is the “red heat” damage caused by halophilicrnmicrobes on salted skins and hides. Tanners and foreign buyers reject salted skins and hidesrnaffected by “red heat” damage. The objective of this study was to identify and characterizernhalophilic microbes causing “red heat” damage of salted skins and hides using culturedependentrnand molecular methods. Halophilic and halotolerant bacteria and archaea werernisolated and characterized from the “red heat” damaged salt cured sheepskins, with visible redrnpatches. The enrichment microbial community was shifted from bacteria to archaea throughrntime. A total of 85 isolates were obtained from 10%, 20% and 25% salt concentrationrnenrichment microbial communities. Members of bacterial domain were the most abundantrn(89%), while members of domain Archaea were found to be 11% all belong to archaeal phylumrnEuryarchaeota. The enrichment bacterial isolates were clustered to three phyla, namely;rnActinobacteria, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria. The bacterial enrichment isolates were affiliatedrnto members of five genera: Halomonas, Bacillus, Salimicrobium, Nesterenkonia, Marinococcus,rnand Nesterenkonia. All the isolates belonged to Archaea were affiliated to members of genusrnHalococcus. Among the 17 representative isolates tested for their ability to degrade collagen, thernarchaeal isolate Halococcus sp. s2535 showed the maximum degree of hydrolysis followed byrnbacterial isolates Nesterenkonia sp.s211, Marinococcus sp. s2526 and archaeal isolaternHalococcus sp. s2528. The phylogenetic analysis of isolates showed that most of the isolatesrnwere closely related to halophilic microbes obtained from various hypersaline environments,rnfermented foods and salted skins and hides. The result of this study indicates that microbesrncausing “red heat” damage of salted skin and hide are diverse and halotolerant. Althoughrnhalophilic microbes growing at high salt concentration are the most efficient collagenrndegraders, those growing at low salt concentration also have certain degree of contribution.rnTherefore, an attempt to prevent the impact of halophilic microbes on salted skin and hidernshould address the diverse groups of microbes.

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