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Blend films of keratoses and sericin were prepared using water as a common solvent and glycerol as a plasticizer. An aqueous solution of keratoses extracted from wool via oxidation using peracetic acid was added with different amounts of sericin from silk degumming and blended along with glycerol to obtain films by solution casting method. All the different concentrations of keratoses/silk sericin (KOx/SS) films are observed to be in intact condition. Blend films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, thermal analysis, water uptake and tensile behavior. Only the cast films of 100% keratoses show a smooth surface indicating good miscibility between keratoses and plasticizer, while increasing the amount of sericin the film surface becomes rough. Fourier transform infrared analysis pointed out that the polymers have no covalent interaction with each other. The addition of glycerol to 100% sericin films strongly decreases their thermal stability changing their secondary structure as shown by FT-IR and thermal analysis. A similar behavior was not seen in keratoses. Sericin plasticized film with glycerol shows low mechanical properties, but the addition of 10% of keratoses to the blend strongly enhances the tensile strength of cast films, while the addition of small amounts sericin to keratoses slightly increases its water uptake.

Fibrous materials are among those most used for the thermal and acoustic insulation of building envelopes and are also suitable for a wide range of applications. In building construction, the demand for products with low environmental impact — in line with the Green Deal challenge of the European Community — is growing, but the building market is still mostly oriented towards traditional products, missing the many opportunities for using waste materials from existing industrial production. The paper presents the experimental results of new thermal and acoustic insulation products for building construction and interior design, based on previous experiences of the research group. They are produced entirely using waste sheep’s wool as a “matrix” and other waste fibres as “fillers”. The materials proposed originate from textile and agri-industrial chains in the Piedmont region and have no uses other than waste-to-heat biomass. The panels have characteristics of rigidity, workability, and thermal conductivity that make them suitable for building envelope insulation.

WP1. Derivable 1. Determinazione quantitativa e qualitativa del grasso di lana che si può ottenere da lane di origine diversa a livello di laboratorio modificando i metodi di estrazione (estrazione con solventi 'green' o simulando il recupero del grasso di lana dai bagni di lavaggio) . E' stata riscontrata una differenza molto grande tra la quantità di grasso di lana presente nelle lane grossolane utilizzate sia per la produzione di latte e carne (Sarda e Biellese), rispetto alla lana fine di razza Sopravissana allevata per la produzione di lana e carne. Ciò è dovuto al fatto che più fine è il diametro delle fibre di lana, maggiore è la quantità di grasso presente sulle fibre rispetto alle fibre grossolane e lunghe. L'estrazione del grasso di lana utilizzando ciclopentil metil etere come solvente "green" ha portato ad una maggiore estrazione di grasso rispetto ai solventi convenzionali come esano ed etere dietilico. Questo effetto potrebbe essere dovuto alla natura più polare del ciclopentil metil etere rispetto all'etere dietilico e all'esano (non polare). Gli spettri FT-IR mostrano che le bande principali e caratteristiche presenti nello spettro della lanolina commerciale si trovano anche nel grasso estratto. Queste bande appartengono ad acidi organici, esteri di acidi organici e alcoli terziari, tutti composti che sono presenti in questo tipo di grasso. Derivable 2. Ottimizzazione del lavaggio della lana sucida a livello di laboratorio ed estrazione della lanolina dalle acque di lavaggio della lana e valutazione della fattibilità economica di un impianto di recupero della lanolina a livello industriale. Questo studio si è concentrato sull'uso dell'idrolizzato proteico della lana come biotensioattivo ottenuto dal processo di idrolisi della lana sostenibile come agente biosgrassante alternativo per il lavaggio della lana. E' stato studiato e discusso l'impatto dell'idrolizzato proteico della lana sulla resa di lavaggio, sul grado di bianco, sul contenuto in grasso residuo, sul grado di giallo di lana Sopravissana. L'ottimizzazione del trattamento ha portato ad ottenere i seguenti parametri: idrolizzato proteico 4%, temperatura 55 °C e rapporto bagno 1:40. I risultati sono stati anche confrontati quelli ottenuti dall''utilizzo dell'agente commerciale Biotex Al. I campioni trattati con bio tensioattivo hanno mostrato un grado di bianco e un contenuto di grasso residuo quasi simili al tensioattivo di confronto. Saranno necessari studi futuri per migliorare l'efficienza del processo per diversi tipi di fibre di lana. Derivable 3. Determinazione della presenza di sostanze inquinanti nel grasso di lana in relazione all'origine della lana di partenza.

Cashmere plays an important role in luxury fashion due to its characteristics of fineness, warmth, and softness. In the frame of "green economy", many companies have started to produce and market recycled cashmere textiles. Recycled cashmere is derived from post-factory and post-consumer waste. The mechanical action involved in recycling cashmere causes severe damage to the fibers, affecting their morphological and mechanical properties. In order to safeguard the consumers and the companies from possible adulteration, a correct identification of fibers is required. NIR spectroscopy was applied to analyze and distinguish virgin and recycled cashmere fibers. Because no significant differences can be seen in the recorded spectra, the principal component analysis (PCA) combined with the soft independent modeling class analogy (SIMCA) method allows the classification of fibers into two distinct classes, leading to a sure identification of recycled and virgin cashmere. A calibration curve was also performed in order to quantify recycled cashmere fibers in a blend with virgin ones. The interclass distance in the SIMCA method was found to be 249.77, whereas the results from quantitative calibration show a standard error of prediction value of 5.8% w/w (for a mean value of 50% w/w). Microscopy analysis was also carried out to confirm the origin of the recycled cashmere. These preliminary results confirmed that the NIR spectroscopy coupled with chemometric methods might be a useful tool for the rapid screening of recycled cashmere fibers and their raw quantification in a blend.

The relatively new class of porous material known as metal-organic framework (MOF) exhibits unique features such as high specific surface area, controlled porosity and high chemical stability. Many green synthesis approaches for MOFs have been proposed using biocompatible metal ions and linkers to maximise their use in pharmaceutical fields. The involvement of biomolecules as an organic ligand can act promising because of their biocompatibility. Recently, cyclodextrin metal-organic frameworks (CD-MOFs) represent environmentally friendly and biocompatible characteristics that lead them to biomedical applications. They are regarded as a promising nanocarrier for drug delivery, due to their high specific surface area, high porosity, tuneable chemical structure, and easy fabrication. This review focuses on the unique properties of CD-MOF and the recent advances in methods for the synthesis of these porous structures with emphasis on particle size. Then, the state-of-the-art drug delivery systems with various drugs along with the performance of CD-MOFs as efficient drug delivery systems are presented. Particular emphasis is laid on researches investigating the drug delivery potential of ?-CD-MOF.

Blend films of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) and keratoses (KOx) were prepared using water as a common solvent. Aqueous solution of KOx from wool was extracted via oxidation using peracetic acid, and different amounts of PVA were added and blended to obtain films by solution casting method. Blend films were characterized by scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, differential scanning calorimetry and tensile measurement. The scanning electron microscopy investigation showed that with decreasing PVA amount, film surface becomes rough and uneven. Thermal behavior and Fourier transform infrared analysis pointed that the two polymers have no covalent interaction each other. Also, it is to be noted that increasing the amount of PVA in the blend from 70 to 100% improved the tensile strength of blend films, and the elongation at break increases dramatically in films containing 70–100% of PVA. Moreover, blends containing 90 and 100% of KOx were too brittle for films production.

Cashmere plays an important role in luxury factory due to its characteristic. In frame of "green economy", many companies start to produce and market recycled cashmere textiles [1]. In order to have a correct identifiation of fiers, NIR spectroscopy can be applied to analyze and distinguish virgin and recycled cashmere fiers. Since no signifiant diffrences can be seen in the recorded spectra, the PCA analysis combined with the SIMCA method allows the classifiation of the fiers in two distinct classes. Quantitative analysis was carried out using samples obtained by carefully mixing known amounts of recycled and virgin cashmere fiers. These preliminary results confimed that the NIR coupled with chemometric methods might be a useful tool for a rapid screening of cashmere fiers quality.

Low quality coarse wool from Italian sheep is a large biomass unavoidably joined to sheep farming and it is to be disposed or adequately managed. Management of shorn wool (from 14000 to 16000 tons/ year in Italy) mainly implies scouring processes and related costs. Waste wool scouring provides wool wax, further refied into lanolin, in 5-20% yield and washed low-quality coarse wools. Waste wool scouring would become profiable if scouring process optimization and further valorisation of lanolin could be associated to the scarcely remunerative non-textile uses of washed low-quality coarse wools. In this study optimization of waste wool scouring and wool wax/lanolin recovery by green solvent was carried out using cyclopentyl methyl ether in comparison with conventional solvents like diethyl ether and hexan. The extraction study shows that cyclopentyl methyl ether shows higher amount of grease extraction in comparison with conventional solvents. The presence of residual grease on wool samples after solvent extraction was analyzed using FT-IR spectroscopy and resulted in similar effiency of extraction in comparison with conventional solvents.

Cashmere is a luxury, and expensive fier, objective and quantitative methods to identify and possibly quantify recycled cashmere are crucial to discourage adulteration of high-quality virgin cashmere with cheaper recycled fiers. This work investigates objective methodologies to quantify the amount of recycled cashmere, based on their diffrent dye absorption capacity. Pure virgin and recycled cashmere fires, along with recycled and virgin cashmere blends, were stained with C.I. Direct Red 7, and the exhaust dyebaths were analysed by UV-visible Spectroscopy in order to quantify the residual unabsorbed dye.

Pulsed electromagnetic field (PEMF) has drawn attention as a potential tool to improve the ability of bone biomaterials to integrate into the surrounding tissue. We investigated the effects of PEMF (frequency, 75 Hz, magnetic induction amplitude, 2 mT, pulse duration, 1.3 ms) on human osteoblast-like cells (SAOS-2) seeded onto wool keratin scaffolds in terms of proliferation, differentiation, and production of the calcified bone extracellular matrix. The wool keratin scaffold offered a 3D porous architecture for cell guesting and nutrient diffusion, suggesting its possible use as a filler to repair bone defects. Here, the combined approach of applying a daily PEMF exposure with additional osteogenic factors stimulated the cells to increase both the deposition of bone-related proteins and calcified matrix onto the wool keratin scaffolds. Also, the presence of SAOS-2 cells, or PEMF, or osteogenic factors did not influence the compression behavior or the resilience of keratin scaffolds in wet conditions. Besides, ageing tests revealed that wool keratin scaffolds were very stable and showed a lower degradation rate compared to commercial collagen sponges. It is for these reasons that this tissue engineering strategy, which improves the osteointegration properties of the wool keratin scaffold, may have a promising application for long term support of bone formation in vivo.

A large amount of wool produced in the EU region is coarse and of low quality. The limited or nonutilization of such coarse wool leads to landfilling causing environmental pollution. In this paper, we studied the properties of keratin hydrolyzate, produced by a sustainable hydrolysis process, to be used as a foaming agent in foam dyeing of cotton and wool fabrics. This is a preliminary step on the way to find possible applications which overcome the environmental problem of wool waste and byproducts. We report for the first time the use of keratin hydrolyzate as a foaming auxiliary in the textile dyeing process. The surface tension, molecular weight, foam stability, blow ratio, and bubble size of keratin hydrolyzate in aqueous solutions with and without dyeing auxiliaries were determined. The dyeing influential parameter such as wet pickup was studied to identify their effect on dye fixation and color strength. The foam dyeing was compared with conventional cold-pad batch and pad-steam processes for cotton and wool, respectively. In the investigated variant, keratin hydrolyzate shows a reduction in surface tension, good foam stability along with dyeing auxiliaries, a blow ratio of about 10:1, and 0.02-0.1 mm diameter bubble sizes. These results make possible its application as a foaming agent. Cotton and wool fabrics were dyed using reactive and acid dyes respectively, on a horizontal padding mangle. In both cases, hydrolyzed keratin acts as a carrier for dye molecules and the mechanism of dyeing depends on the respective pH of the dye solution, keratin, and fiber. Foam dyeing of cotton resulted in comparable color strength, while wool shows higher color strength when compared with conventional dyeing processes. Washing and rubbing fastness of cotton and wool foam dyed fabrics are similar to the respective conventional dyed fabrics. The combinations of sustainable keratin hydrolyzate production and its use as an eco-friendly, biodegradable foaming agent in less add on foam dyeing technology resulted not only in saving of large amounts of water and energy but also will be helpful in minimizing a load on effluent and the environment.

The paper reports an overview of the RiceRes project aiming at the multivalorization of all the wastes of the rice value chain, namely straw, husk and bran in order to improve resources eco-efficiency. A wide range of bio-products and bio-materials with different added value has been produced starting from these wastes in the framework of the RiceRes project. Among them, insulating materials for green building have been obtained from rice straw mixed with waste wool, biofillers from husk for polymer composites, mono- and di-glyceride mixtures and high-added value molecules for the food industry from bran.

Keratin refers to a group of insoluble proteins produced by certain epithelial cells of vertebrates, belonging to the superfamily of the intermediate filament proteins, and forming the bulk of the skin and the epidermal appendages, such as wool, hairs, nails, horns, and feathers. Keratin-based materials are tough and resistant to the natural environment and to many chemicals. Keratins are naturally biocompatible and possess cell motif-binding residues supporting cellular attachment, which is the first step in the tissue engineering replacement process. Keratins for biomedical applications have been extracted, processed, and regenerated into various forms, such as films, sponges, hydrogels, fibers, nanoparticles, microcapsules, alone or blended with other natural and manmade polymers or with bioglasses. Recent literature reports on keratin-based material have been studied for different biomedical purposes, in particular for wound healing, peripheral nerve regeneration, bone reconstruction, and drug controlled release. © 2019 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Sheep wool is a natural material, already used for thermal insulation of pitched roofs, in the form of soft mats. The paper presents a research project called Cartonlana, concerning a new sheep wool-based product with two main innovative features: it is a stiff panel, unlike the existing soft wool mats; it has a low environmental impact, using local recycled sheep wool, otherwise disposed as special waste. Physical and chemical properties of Cartonlana panel were determined by measurements, in order to demonstrate its effectiveness as insulation for buildings: thermal conductivity, acoustic absorption coefficient, absorption of formaldehyde, thermal transmittance of a wall.

Keratin from wool fibers was extracted with different extraction methods, for example oxidation, reduction, sulfitolysis, and superheated water hydrolysis. Different samples of extracted keratin were characterized by molecular weight determination, FT-IR and NIR spectroscopy, amino acid analysis, and thermal behavior. While using oxidation, reduction, and sulfitolysis, only the cleavage of disulfide bonds takes place; keratin hydrolysis leads to the breaking of peptide bonds with the formation of low molecular weight proteins and peptides. In the FT-IR spectra of keratoses, the formation of cysteic acid appears, as well as the formation of Bunte salts (–S–SO3–) after the cleavage of disulfide bonds by sulfitolysis. The amino acid composition confirms the transformation of amino acid cystine, which is totally converted into cysteic acid following oxidative extraction and almost completely destroyed during superheated water hydrolysis. Thermal behavior shows that keratoses, which are characterized by stronger ionic interaction and higher molecular weight, are the most temperature stable keratin, while hydrolyzed wool shows a poor thermal stability.

FITNESs, Fibre Tessili Naturali per l’Edilizia Sostenibile (Natural Textile Fibers for Sustainable Building), is a research project concerning an experimental hemp and sheep wool insulation panel. The new panel has two main innovative features: unlike the already existing hemp and wool insulation mats, it is a semi-rigid product and has low environmental impact, as shown by the Life Cycle Assessment. FITNESs panels are particularly suitable for eco-building sector, as they are 100% natural, recyclable and made with by-products from local production chains (Piemonte Region). The paper presents the production process of the panel from wool and hemp fibers and some experimental applications for sustainable architecture.

Conducting linen fabrics were prepared by the in situ oxidative polymerization of pyrrole using ferric chloride as the oxidant and anthraquinone-2,6-disulfonic acid disodium salt as the dopant to enhance conductivity. The effect of the pyrrole concentration on the final performance and properties of the conducting fabrics was evaluated. Scanning electron microscopy and light microscopy showed a polypyrrole layer deposited on the fiber surface associated with penetration into the bulk fiber at the highest concentrations of pyrrole. Saturation of the amorphous domains of the cellulose structure and coating of the fiber surface resulted in good electrical properties, heat development by the Joule effect and reduced moisture adsorption. The mechanical properties and electrical conductivity of the fabrics were affected by the strong acid conditions of the treatment, but significant electrical properties were achieved while preserving up to 70% of the original tensile strength.

In this work five samples of fishing nets abandoned in the Venetian Lagoon were analysed to characterize them by the chemical and morphological point of view. Then, two of these nets were selected because constituted by textile filament yarns to simulate in laboratory a further consumption due to marine environment and the possible release of microplastics fragments. The nets were washed merging different textile standard methods for quality control. Then the washing effluents were collected and filtered on filters of defined microporosity. The filters were analysed with SEM and a statistical counting was performed.

Until today, many studies (Hidalgo-Ruz and Gutow et al. in Environ SciTechnol 46:3060–3075, 2012; Auta et al. in Environ Int 102:165–176, 2017) were focused on the origin or the formation mechanisms of microplastics. Microplastics comprise a very heterogeneous group of fragments that vary in size, shape, color, specific density, chemical composition, and other characteristics.

The interest towards microcapsules based on non-toxic, biodegradable and biocompatible polymers, such as proteins, is increasing considerably. In this work, microcapsules were prepared using water soluble keratin, known as keratoses, with the aim of encapsulating hydrophilic molecules. Keratoses were obtained via oxidizing extraction of pristine wool, previously degreased by Soxhlet. In order to better understand the shell part of microcapsules, pristine wool and obtained keratoses were investigated by FT-IR, gel-electrophoresis and HPLC. Production of the microcapsules was carried out by a sonication method. Thermal properties of microcapsules were investigated by DSC. Microencapsulation and dye encapsulation yields were obtained by UV-spectroscopy. Morphological structure of microcapsules was studied by light microscopy, SEM, and AFM. The molecular weights of proteins analyzed using gel-electrophoresis resulted in the range of 38–62 kDa. The results confirmed that the hydrophilic dye (Telon Blue) was introduced inside the keratoses shells by sonication and the final microcapsules diameter ranged from 0.5 to 4 µm. Light microscope investigation evidenced the presence of the dye inside the keratoses vesicles, confirming their capability of encapsulating hydrophilic molecules. The microcapsule yield and dye encapsulation yield were found to be 28.87 ± 3% and 83.62 ± 5% respectively.

Polypropylene (PP)-based composites containing 20 wt.% wool fibres were successfully prepared using a simple melt blending procedure. A blend of a commercial-grade PP and a maleinised PP was chosen as the matrix. To investigate the effects of modifying the fibre surface on the fibre/matrix adhesion, wool fibres were used as received, oxidised, or functionalised with a silane-based coupling agent, capable in principle of reacting with both the fibres and the polyolefinic matrix. The silanisation of the fibres and the consequent surface modifications were assessed using infrared spectroscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The resulting PP-based composites were thoroughly characterised in terms of their morphology, thermal stability and mechanical behaviour.

Isotropic polypropylene-based composites, containing up to 60 wt.% of well dispersed wool fibres, were successfully prepared by melt blending in an internal batch mixer. The addition of a maleinized polypropylene compatibilizer was investigated in order to improve fibre/matrix adhesion. Morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of the ensuing composites were investigated focusing the attention on fibre length and their distribution as well as on fibre/matrix interaction. Data from mechanical analysis were compared with theoretical models and with the mechanical characteristics of a composite made of polypropylene with uncut aligned wool fibres.

Natural fibres by products represent sustainable and locally available raw materials for application in bio architecture. These materials, which are renewable, abundant, cheap and lightweight, may replace man-made synthetic or artificial insulating materials (extruded polystyrene, glass wool and rock wool) which are more energy demanding. They are easy recyclable and carbon dioxide neutral, i.e. they do not return excess carbon dioxide into the atmosphere when they are composted at the end of the life cycle. Natural fibres display good thermal-insulating, sound-proofing and mechanical properties. They also enable better handling and working conditions in processing and laying regarding dermal and respiratory irritation, and show less concern with safety and health as for end use properties. Moreover, their thermal-moisture behavior is close to the human body demands (they enhance and stabilize indoor humidity microclimate) and they may contribute to reduce the sick building syndrome due to airborne VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds) in existing and new constructions. This work was focused on the preparation of biocomposite stiff boards entirely made with natural fibres, exploiting the different properties of protein and cellulose components submitted to mild alkali treatments. Waste wool was used in combination with rice straw. Thermal properties were determined on testing specimens of insulation boards. Wool-rice straw based insulating materials show very good thermal insulating properties (thermal conductivity is around 0.04 W/m °K and it depends on bulk density and fibre proportion). Important expected advantages are accessibility of raw materials from the long-term point of view, which is very important for sustainable development. Developed materials can be used in existing and new buildings, for insulation of inclined roofs, hung ceilings, partition walls and external claddings (integrated thermal insulation). Potential applications can also be envisaged in other fields, such as the automotive sector where recyclability and fire resistance are fundamental requirements.

The interest towards microcapsules based on non-toxic, biodegradable and biocompatible polymers, such as proteins, is increasing considerably. In this work, microcapsules were prepared using water soluble keratin, known as keratoses, with the aim of encapsulating hydrophilic molecules. Keratoses were obtained via oxidizing extraction of pristine wool, previously degreased by Soxhlet. In order to better understand the shell part of microcapsules, pristine wool and obtained keratoses were investigated by FT-IR, gel-electrophoresis and HPLC. Production of the microcapsules was carried out by a sonication method. Thermal properties of microcapsules were investigated by DSC. Microencapsulation and dye encapsulation yields were obtained by UV-spectroscopy. Morphological structure of microcapsules was studied by light microscopy, SEM, and AFM. The molecular weights of proteins analyzed using gel-electrophoresis resulted in the range of 38-62 kDa. The results confirmed that the hydrophilic dye (Telon Blue) was introduced inside the keratoses shells by sonication and the final microcapsules diameter ranged from 0.5 to 4 ?m. Light microscope investigation evidenced the presence of the dye inside the keratoses vesicles, confirming their capability of encapsulating hydrophilic molecules. The microcapsule yield and dye encapsulation yield were found to be 28.87 ± 3% and 83.62 ± 5% respectively.

The purpose of this work is to understand the impact of superheated water hydrolysis treatment on the chemical properties of wool, and compare it with a conventional method of alkaline hydrolysis. The effects of hydrolysis temperature and concentration of alkali on the properties of wool were investigated. Superheated water hydrolysis was carried out at the temperatures of 140℃ and 170℃, with a material to liquor ratio of 1:3 for 1 hour. In conventional alkaline hydrolysis, the experiments were carried out in the same conditions using potassium hydroxide (KOH) and calcium oxide (CaO) with a concentration in the range of 5%–15% on the fiber weight (o.w.f.). The effects of hydrolysis temperature and alkali concentrations on wool properties were checked using optical and scanning electron microscopy. It was observed that the hydrolyzates obtained in both cases contained low molecular weight proteins and amino acids. Both the hydrolysis processes resulted in degradation of the wool fibers. However, superheated steam hydrolysis is an environmentally friendly and less expensive process, as it is performed using water as a solvent. The wool hydrolyzates produced using superheated water hydrolysis could find a potential application in agriculture, such as fertilization, soil improvement and suchlike.

The aim of this work is to improve the select mechanical properties of keratin films for biomedical application by exploiting the hierarchical cell structure of wool fibers in a simple and green process. Bio-composite keratin films were prepared by ultrasonic irradiation of wool fibers soaked in clean water, have previously been swollen in mild alkali. The disruption of the fiber cell structure produced a suspension of cortical cells that was centrifuged and rinsed to remove part of the hydrolyzed keratin matrix, then cast into micro-structured porous films made of randomly oriented cortical cells stuck to each other by solidification of the matrix. The chemical and physical properties of the porous films were compared with those of compact films produced using the entire hydrolyzed keratin matrix. Reduction of the keratin matrix amount leads to an even micro-porous structure and improves the mechanical properties (ultimate tensile strength: 11.36 MPa; elongation at break: 3.18%), the moisture uptake and the thermal stability of the films. These properties, associated with other properties of wool keratin, which is naturally hydrophilic, non-burning, biodegradable and biocompatible, make the porous bio-composite keratin films simple and low-cost candidates for biomedical and biotechnology applications.

Wool and hair can be regarded as bio-composite keratin-based fibres made up of spindle shaped cortical cells oriented along the fibre, embedded in an amorphous protein matrix. This natural composite structure has been exploited to prepare cheap and easy keratin-based films. Wool was submitted to alkali treatment, rinse, and ultrasonic disruption of its hierarchic assembly, obtaining a suspension of cortical cells in a protein aqueous solution that was transformed into films by cold casting. Preliminary investigation showed the bio-composite nature of the films, with randomly oriented cortical cells embedded in the protein matrix. Structural characterization revealed the presence of predominantly -sheet secondary structure due to lanthionine and lysino-alanine covalent cross-links. Bio-composite keratin films are transparent and show good tensile strength and thermal stability, high moisture regain and swelling, but are fragile in ambient condition like films of reduced keratin reported in literature. Further characterization and improvement should candidate bio-composite keratin films from wool fibrillation as easy and cheap materials for biotechnology applications.

A large amount of coarse wool, practically unserviceable for textile use, is generated in Europe from sheep shearing and butchery. Such a byproduct is either dumped, burned, or sent to landfill. Following the European Commission regulations on animal byproduct control, unserviceable raw wool is classified as a category 3 special waste materials. The collection, storage, transport, treatment, use, and disposal of such unserviceable raw wool are subject to European Union regulations because of a potential risk to human and animal health. This study aims at converting the waste wool into nitrogen fertilizers at a commercial scale for grassland management and cultivation purposes. The chemical transformation of waste wool in to fertilizer is based on a green economically sustainable hydrolysis treatment using superheated water. The experiments were carried out in a semi-industrial reactor feeding superheated water. The wool/superheated water system was maintained for different reaction times. The optimal conditions for this treatment were as follows: 170 °C for 60 min with a solid to liquor ratio (MLR) close to 1. The hydrolyzed product was analyzed using amino acid analysis and molecular weight distribution. Both the amino acid and molecular weight distribution analysis revealed that the wool was completely degraded and the hydrolyzed product contains a low molecular weight proteins and amino acids. Several hydrolyzed product obtained at different conditions were tested for germination which showed a germination index higher than 100% without collateral phytotoxicity. The presence of amino acids, primary nutrients, and micronutrients in wool hydrolyzates, along with a concentration of heavy metals below the standard limit, confirm the possibility of using wool hydrolyzates as a nitrogen based ecologically sound fertilizer.

Management of waste wool is a problem related to sheep farming and butchery in Europe. Since the primary role of European flock is meat production, sheep are crossbreds not graded for fine wool production. Their wool is very coarse and contains a lot of kemps (dead fibres), so that it is practically unserviceable for textile uses, and represents a by-product which is mostly disposed off. Green hydrolysis using superheated water is an emerging technology to turn waste wool into amendment-fertilizers for the management of grasslands and other cultivation purposes. In this way wool keratin (the wool protein) is degraded into simpler compounds, tailoring the release speed of nutrients to plants. Wool, when added to the soil, increases the yield of grass grown, absorbs and retains moisture very effectively and reduces run off of contaminants such as pesticides. Moreover, the closed-loop cycle grass–wool–grass is an efficient form of recycling, because the wool-grass step is solar powered and grazing sheep increases soil carbon sequestration on grasslands and fertilisation, if not over-used, can enhance the carbon sequestration rate. Economical results of using hydrolysed wool as a fertilizer are expected from the increase of the management yield and the extension of the pasture lands that may contribute to employment and profit of sheep farming, increase European sheep population, and reduce European dependency of imported meat which is forecast to rise in the next years.

The European Union (EU) area has the second largest world sheep population, numbered to about 87 millions (Source EU-Eurostat 2014). The EU flock is made of crossbred sheep not graded for fine wool production. The annual wool clip amounts to about 200 000 t and its management is a specific problem for the EU livestock sector. Indeed, wool from sheep farming and butchery industry is very coarse and contains a lot of kemps (dead fibres), making it practically unserviceable for the textile industry. Unserviceable wool is mostly disposed in landfills or illegally thrown over. Thus, shearing, storage, transportation and disposal of waste wool in accordance with current EU Regulation, heavily weigh on the profit of sheep farming. The Life+ 12 ENV/IT000439 GreenWoolf project aims at converting waste wool into nitrogen fertilizers at a commercial scale for grassland management and organic agriculture purposes. The chemical transformation is based on a green economically sustainable hydrolysis treatment using superheated water. The experiments were carried out in a semi-industrial reactor feeding superheated water and, due to condensation, the wool/superheated water system was maintained for different reaction times. The optimal conditions for this treatment were: 170 oC for 60 min with a solid to liquor ratio close to 1. Chemical analyses such as amino acid analysis and molecular weight distribution performed on the hydrolysis products obtained revealed that the wool was completely degraded, the reaction product containing low molecular weight proteins and amino acids. Several product batches tested for germination showed an index higher than 100% without collateral phytotoxicity. The presence of amino acids, primary nutrients and micronutrients in wool hydrolyzates, along with a concentration of heavy metals below the standard limit, confirms the possibility of using wool hydrolyzates as nitrogen based ecologically sound fertilizer suitable for organic agriculture.

Wool fibres were submitted to green hydrolysis with superheated water in a microwave reactor, in view of potential valorisation of keratin-based wastes. The keratin hydrolysates containing free amino acids, peptides and low molecular weight proteins, were exploited as a biofiller in preparing polypropylene matrix composites. Maleic anhydride grafted polypropylene was used as a compatibilizer to promote dispersion of keratin. The thermal and mechanical properties were investigated in dependence of keratin and compatibilizer loadings, and related to morphological characteristics. The presence of keratin preserved the molecular weight of the polymer matrix during the processing and gave good overall mechanical properties to the compatibilized composites. The keratin hydrolysates strongly interfered on the crystallization behaviour and thermo-oxidative degradation of the polypropylene. The increase of polypropylene crystallization rate and the enhancement of thermal stability were observed as a function of the keratin amount in the compatibilized composites.

Wool fibers were submitted to “green hydrolysis” with superheated water in a microwave reactor, in view of the potential exploitation of keratin-based industrial and stock-farming wastes. The liquid fraction was separated by filtration from the solid fraction, which consists mainly of small fragments of wool fibers and other insoluble protein aggregates. The liquid fraction contains free amino acids, peptides and low molecular weight proteins, with a small amount of cystine and lanthionine, and has a different secondary structure when compared with keratins extracted from wool via reductive or oxidative methods. Cleavage of the cystine disulfide bonds without the use of harmful, often toxic, reductive or oxidative agents allows the extraction of protein material from keratin wastes, offering the possibility of larger exploitation and valorization.

Survivin is expressed in proliferating tissues and in tumors. It is a member of the inhibitory apoptosis protein (IAP) family known to regulate mitosis and to inhibit apoptosis. It has therefore been regarded as a target for therapies. In malignant gliomas it increases with malignancy, even though in glioblastomas it does not seem to correlate with outcome.Survivin was immunohistochemically studied in 39 selected viable glioblastoma areas belonging to 20 cases which were assayed for apoptosis, using a TUNEL assay, caspase-3, poly(ADP-ribose)polymerase 1 (PARP-1), Bid (BH3-interacting domain death agonist) and with the proliferation index Ki-67/MIB-1 and mitotic index (MI).A positive linear correlation was found between the survivin labelling index (LI) and the Ki-67/MIB-1 LI and MI. No inverse correlation was found with apoptosis.This double behavior can be attributed to mechanisms mediating survivin activity, either as a mitosis regulator and apoptosis inhibitor, and should be taken into account in therapeutic strategies using survivin.