Quantitative Analysis of Cashmere and Other Animal Hair Fibers in Textiles Using MALDI-TOF Mass Spectrometry
January 2014
in “
Sen'i Gakkaishi
”
Studysummary This study developed a quantitative method using SDS-PAGE and MALDI-TOF mass spectroscopy to accurately determine animal species from hair fibers, validated against standard samples and optical microscopy. Our plain-language summary of this paper — not a Tressless recommendation.
The document describes the development of a MALDI-TOF mass spectrometry method for quantitatively analyzing cashmere, wool, and yak fibers in textiles. The researchers identified species-specific protein peaks and demonstrated a strong linear relationship between these peaks and the actual fiber blend ratios in standard samples. The method was validated with at least nine blind-test samples and showed excellent reproducibility and alignment with traditional microscopy, proving effective even in challenging samples with strong processing or dark colors. This new method is considered reliable and practical for commercial use in identifying and quantifying animal hair fibers in textiles.
