Antimicrobial Potential of Albizia lebbeck Extracts for Sustainable Sheepskin Preservation and Leather Production

Study’s Excerpt: • The antimicrobial potential of Albizia lebbeck extracts for sheepskin preservation and leather production was evaluated. • The result revealed that, Albizia lebbeck extracts are highly potential biocidal agents for preserving Sheepskins. • The leather preserved with Albizia lebbeck exhibited comparable physical properties to salt-cured leather. Full Abstract: The use of salt to preserve hides/skins could result in the generation of quantities of total dissolved solids and is regarded as one of the most difficult pollutants to manage. Raw skins are preserved before processing them into leather, to protect the skin protein from microbial attack. Preservation of hides or skins uses common salt resulting in environmental pollution. The Albizia lebbeck biocide recipe at different concentrations was applied on the flesh side of the skin and preserved for a period of 30 days. The preserved skins were tanned and retanned, and the leather's properties were assessed. This study evaluates the antimicrobial potential of Albizia lebbeck extracts for sheepskin preservation and leather production. Ethyl acetate extracts demonstrated the highest antimicrobial activity, particularly against Staphylococcus spp. (37 mm zone of inhibition). Leather preserved with A. lebbeck exhibited comparable physical properties to salt-cured leather, highlighting its potential as an eco-friendly alternative to conventional preservation methods. Leather produced from the experimentally preserved sheepskin shows similar physical properties in comparison to the leather produced from conventionally preserved sheepskin. This result suggested that Albizia lebbeck extracts are highly potential biocidal agents for preserving sheepskins at the concentration range of 1–5 mg/mL.