Wool Protein Research Articles

A new adhesive from waste wool protein hydrolysate

This study aimed to produce a new non-toxic adhesive system consisting of wool-hydrolysed (WH) and a commercial wet-strength agent for paper (Kymene® 557H) which is an aqueous solution of cationic polyamidoamine-epichlorohydrin (PAE) resins. The WH mixed with Kymene (WH-K) and used as an adhesive for bonding pine veneer. Rheology aspects of the blends measured in different WH-K weight ratios and the effect of reaction time on the lap-shear strengths of wood composites bonded with WH-K adhesives were evaluated. The physicochemical properties of the newly developed wood adhesive system were characterised using FTIR, DSC and TGA. Wood composites bonded with WH-K adhesive had shear strengths comparable to or higher than those bonded with commercial phenol-formaldehyde resins. Wood composites bonded with the new adhesive system demonstrated high water resistance and retained relatively high strength even after treated with boiling water. The new adhesive system is non-toxic, free from formaldehyde and friendly to use for diverse applications. Thus, we anticipate that this new adhesive system will be potential candidate for bio-composites and packaging applications.

Effect of liquid nitrogen pre-treatment on various types of wool waste fibres for biogas production

This study investigated the role of liquid nitrogen (LN2) in increasing microbial accessibility of wool proteins for biogas production. It involves a mechanical size reduction of four different types of raw wool fibres, namely, Blackface, Bluefaced Leicester, Texel and Scotch Mule, in presence of liquid nitrogen, followed by the determination of the methane production potential of the pre-treated wool fibres. The highest methane yield, 157.3 cm3 g−1 VS, was obtained from pre-treated Scotch mule wool fibre culture, and represented more than 80% increase when compared to the yield obtained from its raw equivalent culture. The increase in biogas yield was attributed to the effectiveness of LN2 in enhancing particle size reduction and the consequent increase in wool solubility and bioavailability. Results also showed that LN2 pre-treatment can enhance size reduction but has limited effect on the molecular structure. The study also showed that the biogas potential of waste wool fibres varies with the type and source of wool.

Improved aqueous solubility and stability of wool and feather proteins by reactive-extraction with H2O2 as bisulfide ([sbnd]S[sbnd]S[sbnd]) splitting agent

With the aim of developing new bioplastics from wool and chicken feather proteins three different protein extracting methodologies were explored, aiming to split its characteristic intermolecular bisulfide (SS) bond: one reductive, using thioglycolate (HSCH2COO−) as reducing agent, and two oxidative routes, one using H2O2 and the other NaClO as oxidative agents. The resulting proteins were characterized by FTIR, SDS-PAGE, solubility tests, and by SAXS and WAXS. Treatment with NaClO destroyed completely the proteins due to strong oxidation which led to severe molecular weight reduction. In comparison with the classical thioglycolate reductive method, the oxidative H2O2 treatment lead to proteins with broader molecular weight distribution, lower isoelectric point, lower fractions of β-sheet structures and lower capability of bisulfide reformation, presumably due to the introduction of stable SO species such as sulfenic (RSOH), sulfinic (RSO2H) or sulfonic (RSO3H) acids. For these reasons this type of proteins presented higher water solubility. In addition, aqueous/isopropanol solutions of wool proteins obtained through H2O2 oxidation presented excellent film forming capability.

Chromatographic and Spectroscopic Identification and Recognition of Natural Dyes, Uncommon Dyestuff Components, and Mordants: Case Study of a 16th Century Carpet with Chintamani Motifs.

A multi-tool analytical practice was used for the characterisation of a 16th century carpet manufactured in Cairo. A mild extraction method with hydrofluoric acid has been evaluated in order to isolate intact flavonoids and their glycosides, anthraquinones, tannins, and indigoids from fibre samples. High-performance liquid chromatography coupled to spectroscopic and mass spectrometric detectors was used for the identification of possible marker compounds with special attention paid to natural dyes present in the historical samples. Weld, young fustic, and soluble redwood dye were identified as the dye sources in yellow thread samples. Based on the developed method, it was possible to establish that red fibres were coloured with lac dye, whereas green fibre shades were obtained with indigo and weld. Tannin-containing plant material in combination with indigo and weld were used to obtain the brown hue of the thread. Hyphenation of high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (QTOF MS) and triple-quadrupole mass spectrometry (QqQ MS) enabled us to recognise four uncommon and thus-far unknown dye components that were also found in the historical samples. These compounds probably represent a unique fingerprint of dyed threads manufactured in a Turkish workshop. Scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive X-ray detector (SEM-EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) were used for the identification and characterisation of substrates and mordants present in the historical carpet. Carbon and oxygen were detected in large quantities as a part of the wool protein. The presence of aluminium, iron, and calcium indicated their usage as mordants. Trace amounts of copper, silica, and magnesium might originate from the contaminants. FT-IR analysis showed bands characteristic for woollen fibres and SEM micrographs defined the structure of the wool.

Modification of wool protein fiber with plasma and dendrimer: Effects on dyeing with cochineal

In this study, plasma treatment and a poly(propylene imine) dendrimer were employed to improve the dyeability of wool fibers with cochineal natural dye. FESEM, EDX, AFM and FTIR techniques were employed to investigate the effects of these treatments on chemical and physical properties of wool fibers. The etching of the surface layer of wool fibers and increased roughness after plasma treatment was confirmed by FESEM and AFM images. EDX and FTIR analyses confirmed the creation of oxygen-containing groups and attachment of dendrimer molecules on wool fibers after plasma and dendrimer treatments respectively. The effects of different dyeing parameters on dye absorption and the applicability of different isotherm and kinetic models on the dyeing process were investigated. The results showed that the kinetics of absorption of cochineal on raw, plasma-treated and dendrimer-treated fibers was best fitted with the pseudo-second-order model and the isotherms of the dyeing processes followed the Freundlich model.

Novel Method of Ecofriendly Single Bath Dyeing and Functional Finishing of Wool Protein with Coconut Shell Extract Biomolecules

The present work mainly deals with the study of the efficacy of coconut shell extract (CSE), an eco-friendly natural waste product, as a dye and also as an acid dyeing medium, for coloration and multifunctional finishing of wool fabric for fire retardancy and UV-protective effects. The wool fabric was dyed with coconut shell extract “as-it-is” and in concentrated form at pH 4.5. A UV–visible spectrometry determination was used for color measurement whereas gas chromatography mass spectrometry identified some of the components of CSE. The limiting oxygen index (LOI), vertical flammability, and fire retardancy were determined, while thermal degradation was studied using thermogravimetric analysis. Scanning electron microscopy energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy analysis was used to examine the surface depositions for elements present in the CSE treated fabric. The chemical modification and the structural conformation of the wool fabric were studied using attenuated total reflection Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction analysis. Fabric dyed with CSE at pH 4.5, and with synthetic acid dye in CSE, showed more exhaustion of color and color strength as well as thermal stability as compared to that of the fabric dyed in water medium with synthetic acid dye.

Au‐ and Ag‐loaded MnO2 nanostructures supported on nitrogen‐ and nitrogen–sulfur‐doped pyroproteins: Synthesis and catalytic activity in organic transformations

Four novel Au‐ and Ag‐loaded MnO2 nanostructures supported on nitrogen‐doped pyroprotein of natural silk (Au–MnO2@PPNS and Ag–MnO2@PPNS) and nitrogen–sulfur‐doped pyroprotein of natural wool (Au–MnO2@PPNW and Ag–MnO2@PPNW) have been synthesized. Nitrogen‐ and nitrogen–sulfur‐doped pyroproteins were prepared by carbonization of natural silk and wool proteins, respectively. The catalysts were investigated for the aerobic oxidation of aromatic hydrocarbons of petroleum naphtha and the aerobic oxidative synthesis of 2‐phenylbenzo[d]thiazoles, 2‐phenyl‐1H‐benzo[d]imidazoles and 2‐phenyl‐4‐quinazolinones in the absence of any co‐promoter and additional oxidizing reagent. The prepared catalytic systems showed higher catalytic activity in comparison to aggregated catalysts.

Sheep wool protein hydrolysate: a new peptone source for microorganisms

AbstractBACKGROUNDPeptones are one of the most expensive components of microbial culture media. The present study was performed to produce microbial peptone from sheep wool using a new chemical process.RESULTSWool peptone (WP) was found to have high protein (67.8 g per 100 g) and ash (29.2 g per 100 g) contents. Glutamic acid was the most abundant amino acid in WP with a content of 8175 mg per 100 g). Wool peptone (WP) also had a high content (5042 mg per 100 g) of cystine, a sulphur‐containing amino acid. Optimal concentration of WP was determined as 5 g L−1 for the fungi and 6 g L−1 for the bacteria. Staphylococcus aureus showed very poor growth performance in WP medium. Growth performances of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Bacillus subtilis and Penicillium chrysogenum were at moderate levels in WP medium. The best growth performance for Aspergillus niger was observed in WP medium with a biomass production of 8.17 g L−1. Second best growth performance for Escherichia coli was achieved with WP among the tested peptones.CONCLUSIONWool peptone (WP) was shown to be a good growth substrate, especially for A. niger and E. coli. This is the first investigation on use of wool as peptone source or substrate for microorganisms. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry

Preparation and characterization of solution spinning of protein/cellulose fiber: A new flame-retardant grade

A new flame-retardant protein viscose fiber with safely wearing performance has been prepared through blending protein solution, flame retardant (hexaphenoxycyclotriphosphazene) and viscose spinning solution, in which wool protein was used and added to spinning solution on the basis of 16% flame retardant, and the properties of the fiber were investigated. The product has more compact structure inside the fiber and evenly scattered small pores on the surface. Flame-retardant protein viscose fiber can reach the flame-retardant standard both before and after 30 times wash test, and the mechanical strength of the fiber was also improved. The introduction of hexaphenoxycyclotriphosphazene lowered the primary decomposition temperature of viscose fiber, reduced its weight loss. The flame-retardancy of the fiber can be improved by the introduction of protein. In thermal processes, the major product of thermal decomposition was CO2, no hazardous and noxious gases were released. Due to the introduction of protein, moisture regain of the fiber is a little lower than that of viscose fiber, but higher than flame-retardant viscose fiber. Warmth retention property was also improved. Friction coefficient of the product is lower than that of flame-retardant viscose fiber. Bulking intensity was increased, which is better than that of viscose fiber.

Protein and silver nitrate interaction during finer wool production: enhancing tensile properties along with synthesis of nano silver

The simultaneous in situ synthesis of silver nanoparticles and slenderizing of wool fibers was carried out in one single step process without using external reducing agent. The functional groups of wool fibers were responsible for the reduction of silver ions into silver nanoparticles, and the possible interactions between the synthesized nanoparticles and the protein chains of wool fibers have been thoroughly discussed. According to the hypothesized mechanism, which was further proved by UV–vis absorption spectra, there is also a possibility of cross-linking formation within wool protein chains through diazotion reaction with amine groups of wool fibers. Duration of the process at the applied temperature allowed enough time for complete growth of the silver nucleus inside the protein chains, creating more cross-linking within the protein chains of wool fibers. Findings suggest the potential of the proposed method in producing fine wool fibers with enhanced tensile strength and slight color change.

Allocation of greenhouse gas production between wool and meat in the life cycle assessment of Australian sheep production

Australia is the largest supplier of high-quality wool in the world. The environmental burden of sheep production must be shared between wool and meat. We examine different methods to handle these co-products and focus on proportional protein content as a basis for allocation, that is, protein mass allocation (PMA). This is the first comprehensive investigation applying PMA for calculating greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for Australian sheep production, evaluating the variation in PMA across a large number of farms and locations over 20 years. Inventory data for two superfine wool Merino farms were obtained from farmer records, interviews and site visits in study 1. Livestock GHG emissions were modelled using Australian National GHG Inventory methods. A comparison was made of mass, protein mass and economic allocation and system expansion methods for handling co-production of wool and sheep meat. In study 2, typical crossbred ewe, Merino ewe and Merino wether flocks in each of the 28 locations in eight climate zones were modelled using the GrassGro/GRAZPLAN simulation model and historical climatic data to examine the variation in PMA values for different enterprise types. Different methods for handling co-products in study 1 changed allocated GHG emissions more than fourfold, highlighting the sensitivity to method choice. In study 2, enterprise, climate zone and year and their interactions had significant effects on PMA between wool and liveweight (LW) sold. The wool PMA (wool protein as proportion of total protein sold) least square means (LSM) were 0.61 ± 0.003 for wethers, 0.43 ± 0.003 for Merino ewes and 0.27 ± 0.003 for crossbred ewe enterprises. The wool PMA LSM for the main effect of Koppen climate zone varied from 0.39 to 0.46. Two zones (no dry season/warm summer and distinctively dry and hot) had significantly lower wool PMA LSM, of 0.39 and 0.41, respectively, than the four other climate zones. Effects of superfine wool production on GHG emissions differed between regions in response to differences in climate and productivity. Regarding methods for handling co-production, system expansion showed the greatest contrast between the two studied flocks and highlighted the importance of meat from wool production systems. However, we also propose PMA as a simple, easily applied allocation approach for use when attributional life cycle assessment (LCA) is undertaken.

Isolation and Analysis of Keratins and Keratin-Associated Proteins from Hair and Wool.

The presence of highly cross-linked protein networks in hair and wool makes them very difficult substrates for protein extraction, a prerequisite for further protein analysis and characterization. It is therefore imperative that these cross-links formed by disulfide bridges are first disrupted for the efficient extraction of proteins. Chaotropes such as urea are commonly used as efficient extractants. However, a combination of urea and thiourea not only improves recovery of proteins but also results in improved resolution of the keratins in 2DE gels. Reductants also play an important role in protein dissolution. Dithiothreitol effectively removes keratinous material from the cortex, whereas phosphines, like Tris(2-carboxyethyl)phosphine, remove material from the exocuticle. The relative extractability of the keratins and keratin-associated proteins is also dependent on the concentration of chaotropes, reductants, and pH, thus providing a means to preferentially extract these proteins. Ionic liquids such as 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride (BMIM(+)[Cl](-)) are known to solubilize wool by disrupting noncovalent interactions, specifically intermolecular hydrogen bonds. BMIM(+)[Cl](-) proved to be an effective extractant of wool proteins and complementary in nature to chaotropes such as urea and thiourea for identifying unique peptides of wool proteins using mass spectrometry (MS). Successful identification of proteins resolved by one- or two-dimensional electrophoresis and MS is highly dependent on the optimal recovery of its protease-digested peptides with an efficient removal of interfering substances. The detergent sodium deoxycholate used in conjunction with Empore™ disks improved identification of proteins by mass spectrometry leading to higher percentage sequence coverage, identification of unique peptides and higher score.

UV‐reactive electrospinning of keratin/4‐vinyl benzene boronic acid–hydroxyapatite/poly(vinyl alcohol) composite nanofibers

Keratins are the major structural fibrous proteins of hair, feathers, wool, and nail. Because keratin is protein based, cheap, and biocompatible, it has found applications from tissue engineering to textile industry. Simultaneous UV‐reactive electrospinning technique is used to fabricate nanofiber scaffolds with 4‐vinyl benzene boronic acid–hydroxyapatite/poly(vinyl alcohol) composite containing different amounts of keratin. Human hair as keratin supports the scaffolds for cell culture applications in our study. Our aim was to obtain nanofiber scaffolds which were designed to be nontoxic. The structure and the morphology of electrospun membranes were investigated by scanning electron microscopy and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy technique. For the cell culture applications, endothelium (ECV 304) and sarcoma osteogenic (SAOS) cells were seeded on the electrospun fibrous scaffolds. Nanofiber scaffolds were found to have an average diameter of 350 ± 20 nm. These scaffolds provided a medium for cells to grow. POLYM. COMPOS., 38:1371–1377, 2017. © 2015 Society of Plastics Engineers

Green Hydrolysis as an Emerging Technology to Turn Wool Waste into Organic Nitrogen 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.

Bleach in the diabetic kidney destabilizes basement membrane collagen.

Bleach, or hypochlorous acid (HOCl), is a very old chemical that is widely used as a decolorizing and disinfectant agent. The addition of a few drops of bleach to a cashmere sweater not only decolorizes the stain within 24 h at room temperature but also oxidizes the wool protein itself, such that the fine meshwork is replaced by a hole within a few days (Fig. 1, left panel). The chemistry behind this phenomenon begins with a reaction between chlorine (or bromine) gas and water, leading to the powerful oxidizing agent, HOCl. At physiological pH, HOCl is in equilibrium with hypochlorite anion (ClO−), and both chemical species are oxidizing agents, with HOCl being much more potent than ClO−. Cysteine and methionine residues are attacked first, followed by slower reactions with lysine, tryptophan, terminal amines, and histidine. Other targets include backbone amides, arginine, tyrosine, and other residues or even DNA (1). Products of these reactions include chlorinated compounds, such as 3-chlorotyrosine, 2-chlorotryptophan, or chlorinated lysine residues, as well as hydroxylated compounds such as 3-hydroxyphenylalanine and hydroxytryptophan. Importantly, some of these modifications are labile and eventually form fully oxidized residues such as 2-aminoadipic acid, N-formylkynurenine, or kynurenine. Thus, many of the oxidized amino acids are nonspecific advanced oxidation products of proteins (AOPPs) (2). Unless one is able to …

Electromagnetic shielding response of UV-induced polypyrrole/silver coated wool

In this research, wool surface was successfully coated with polypyrrole (PPy) by one-step UV-induced polymerization using AgNO3 as catalyst for oxidation of pyrrole monomers. The influence of the concentration of materials on the surface morphology, thermal and electromagnetic shielding properties was investigated using FTIR, XRD, SEM, EDS, TGA, RS and NA. The new bands at 2369 and 1519 cm-1 appeared in FTIR clearly showed structural changes of wool proteins. XRD spectra revealed two new peaks related to silver planes at 2θ=33° and 47° for UV-induced PPy/Ag nanocomposite coated wool. Furthermore, EDS results confirmed the presence of different amounts of silver on wool proportional to the applied PPy/Ag nanocomposites. TGA results demonstrated that the PPy/Ag nanocomposite coatings could significantly improve the thermal stability of wool fibers. This paper introduces a simple and versatile method for production of PPy/Ag nanocomposite, which can be applied as a high electromagnetic shielding on textiles.

Optimization of Bromelain Treatment pH with Wool for Antifelting and Reduced Pilling Behaviour: Objective Assessment Approach

Wool fabric possesses unique properties like resiliency, warmth, wide aesthetic qualities, and comfort. However, felting-shrinkage and pilling tendency of wool after wear and repeated launderings are its inherent limitations. Proteolytic enzymes are extensively used as biocatalysts for eco-friendly wool antifelting treatments. However, uncontrolled wool protein hydrolysis by protease may lead to excessive weight loss leading to weakening of fiber and reduction in its tensile value, which further have detrimental effect on the pilling propensity of protease treated wool during use of woolen textiles. Optimum selection of protease treatment parameters like concentration, pH, temperature, and so forth can help in controlled reaction to achieve the desired effect, which generally involves cumbersome sampling and analysis. Optimization for pH of bromelain (proteolytic enzyme having activity in acidic conditions) treatment with wool has been done while aiming at the desired areawise shrinkage value, minimum weight loss, and reduced pilling by using standard methods and objective fast Fourier transformation technique for pilling evaluation specifically.

Application of life cycle assessment to sheep production systems: investigating co-production of wool and meat using case studies from major global producers

Purpose Methodology of co-product handling is a critical determinant of calculated resource use and environmental emissions per kilogram (kg) product but has not been examined in detail for different sheep production systems. This paper investigates alternative approaches for handling coproduction of wool and live weight (LW, for meat) from dual purpose sheep systems to the farm-gate. Methods Seven methods were applied; three biophysical allocation (BA) methods based on protein requirements and partitioning of digested protein, protein mass allocation (PMA), economic allocation (EA) and two system expansion (SE) methods. Effects on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, fossil energy demand and land occupation (classified according to suitability for arable use) were assessed using four contrasting case study (CS) farm systems. A UK upland farm (CS 1) and a New Zealand hill farm (CS 2) were selected to represent systems focused on lamb and coarse-textured wool for interior textiles. Two Australian Merino sheep farms (CS 3, CS 4) were selected to represent systems focused on medium to superfine garment wool, and lamb. Results and discussion Total GHG emissions per kilogram total products (i.e. wool+LW) were similar across CS farms. However, results were highly sensitive to the method of coproduct handling. GHG emissions based on BA of wool protein to wool resulted in 10–12 kg CO2-e/kg wool (across all CS farms), whereas it increased to 24–38 kg CO2-e/kg wool when BA included a proportion of sheep maintenance requirements. Results for allocation% generated using EA varied widely from 4 % (CS 1) to 52 % (CS 4). SE using beef as a substitution for sheep meat gave the lowest, and often negative, GHG emissions from wool production. Different methods were found to re-order the impacts across the four case studies in some instances. A similar overall pattern was observed for the effects of co-product handling method on other impact categories for three of the four farms. Conclusions BA based on protein partitioning between sheep wool and LW is recommended for attributional studies with the PMA method being an easily applied proxy for the more detailed BA methods. Sensitivity analysis using SE is recommended to understand the implications of system change. Sensitivity analysis using SE is recommended to investigate implications of choosing alternative products or systems, and

Mapping the accessibility of the disulfide crosslink network in the wool fiber cortex.

The disulfide bond network within the cortex of mammalian hair has a critical influence on the physical and mechanical characteristics of the fiber. The location, pattern, and accessibility of free and crosslinked cysteines underpin the properties of this network, but have been very difficult to map and understand, because traditional protein extraction techniques require the disruption of these disulfide bonds. Cysteine accessibility in both trichocyte keratins and keratin associated proteins (KAPs) of wool was investigated using staged labeling, where reductants and chaotropic agents were used to expose cysteines in a stepwise fashion according to their accessibility. Cysteines thus exposed were labeled with distinguishable alkylation agents. Proteomic profiling was used to map peptide modifications and thereby explore the role of KAPs in crosslinking keratins. Labeled cysteines from KAPs were detected when wool was extracted with reductant only. Among them were sequences from the end domains of KAPs, indicating that those cysteines were easily accessible in the fiber and could be involved in forming interdisulfide linkages with keratins or with other KAPs. Some of the identified peptides were from the rod domains of Types I and II keratins, with their cysteines positioned on the exposed surface of the α-helix. Peptides were also identified from keratin head and tail domains, demonstrating that they are not buried within the filament structure and, hence, have a possible role in forming disulfide linkages. From this study, a deeper understanding of the accessibility and potential reactivity of cysteine residues in the wool fiber cortex was obtained.

Modification of wool by air plasma and enzymes as a cleaner and environmentally friendly process

Abstract A big disadvantage of the traditional anti-felting modification of wool is the problem of environmental pollution. Low temperature plasma (LTP) and enzyme process are the two important cleaner technologies which have potential use in the textile industry. In this paper, transglutaminase, a protein crosslinking enzyme, combined with air low temperature plasma and protease was used to modify wool fiber. The influences of the combination treatment on wool knitgoods performances were discussed. It was shown that air low temperature plasma pretreatment, instead of conventional chemical pretreatment, improved wettability significantly and made enzyme molecule more accessible to protein chains of the wool. Protease treatment following air plasma impacted a significant reduction in fabric shrinkage and the loss of strength was under control. Transglutaminase remediated wool damage, resulting in an increase in bursting strength. The machine washable wool knitgoods are obtained and the damage to the wool fiber can be controlled by using the combination treatment of air plasma, protease and transglutaminase. TGase was demonstrated to catalyze cross-linking reaction in wool protein by analyzing the thermal behavior of wool.