Abstract
The keratin fibers contain small amount of the internal lipids which are in free state or bound with fiber proteins via tioester of 18-methyleicosanoic acid. Today the origin of these lipids, their composition and functional properties are still not found. Therefore, our objective was to examine the content and composition of internal lipids in sheep's wool with different defects. We observed that regardless of the type of fibers defect there are significant changes especially in the quality composition of the internal lipids, although the total content of free and covalently bound lipids in all cases is practically identical. Notably, both free and covalently bound lipids composition of felted and simultaneously felted and yellowed wool is characterized by changes in contents mainly of free fatty acids and ceramides whereas abnormal thinning of fibers is accompanied only by a decrease of sulfolipids.
Highlights
According to IWTO Market Information [1] the share of wool for the textile production in the world is only 1.5%, but the cost of finished products made of it is many times higher than that of wool as a raw material and ensures the functioning of light industry, trade, transportation
According to [6] internal lipids, which are synthesized in the hair matrix cells, consist of polar components such as ceramides, cholesterol sulfate and nonpolar components
Major classes of lipids are presented by cholesterol esters, cholesterol sulfate, free fatty acids, fatty alcohols, ceramides and glycosilceramides [6, 7]
Summary
The internal free lipids were extracted from wool (3 g) in the Soxhlet apparatus for 5 hours using a mixture of chloroform/methanol (2 : 1, v/v). The extraction of bound internal lipid was performed as described [15]. For this purpose, wool samples after removal of free internal lipids were subjected to alkaline hydrolysis by heating for 2 h at 60 oC with 1 M KOH in 90% CH3OH. The lipid extract was redissolved in the chloroform/methanol mixture. Chromatographic separation of internal lipids was carried out in two systems: petroleum ether/diethyl ether, 4 : 1, v/v (system A) and chloroform/methanol/ water, 65 : 25 : 4, v/v (system B).
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