Abstract

Salted animal skins and preservation salt may contain various microorganisms in the leather industry. Microbial activities on the raw and preserved hides and skins may cause adverse effects during salting process, storage period, and soaking process on leather. Antimicrobial applications have a critical importance to prevent damage of microorganisms during these applications. Hence, the aim of the present study was to inactivate moderately halophilic isolates by 2A direct electric current treatment which cause skin degradation. Each moderately halophilic bacterial species (Terribacillus halophilus SLMHB10, Vibrio alginolyticus SLMHB12, Vibrio parahaemolyticus SLMHB13), which were previously isolated from soak liquor samples, and their mixed culture were separately treated with 2A DC in test media containing 25% NaCl solution, 10% NaCl solution, both 4% NaCl and organic substance. Although Terribacillus halophilus SLMHB10, Vibrio alginolyticus SLMHB12, and the mixed culture of three species were completely killed in 18 min, Vibrio parahaemolyticus SLMHB13 were completely killed in 12 min. As a conclusion, 2A direct electric current application were found fairly effective to kill moderately halophilic isolates recovered from soaking liquors in the leather industry.