Molecular Identification
Analytical chemistry identifies specific proteins within animal fibres by measuring mass spectral peptide signatures. Keratin proteomics allows technicians to map the primary amino acid sequences of wool, cashmere, or mohair samples to determine biological origin and purity. This technique isolates peptide fragments using enzymatic digestion followed by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry.
Each unique peptide sequence provides a diagnostic marker that remains consistent despite thermal or chemical processing treatments.
Processing Verification
Production facilities apply this method to confirm the species composition of raw batches before spinning commences. Testing identifies adulteration where lower cost fibres are substituted for luxury hair in top manufacturing. Samples undergo extraction processes that break down disulfide bonds within the protein structure to release soluble peptides.
The resulting data profile matches against a reference database to verify the declared material content of the batch.
Analytical Limitation
Detection thresholds depend upon the integrity of the protein chains remaining within the fibre core. Heat damage or aggressive alkaline scouring causes fragmentation that reduces the number of identifiable peptides during laboratory analysis. Heavy dye loads or synthetic resin finishes sometimes interfere with the enzymatic digestion phase by blocking access to the protein backbone.
Laboratories report results based on the detected presence of markers rather than absolute weight percentages of the sample.
Biological Correlation
Evolutionary divergence between sheep and goat species manifests in distinct sequences of intermediate filament proteins. These genetic variations translate into measurable mass differences that machines detect during the scanning cycle. Precise software algorithms assign detected ions to specific biological sources by comparing results to known protein variants.
Keratin proteomics provides a definitive forensic metric for verifying fibre authenticity in finished textile goods.
