Amino acid content and protein solubility of feather meal as affected by different processing conditions.

Abstract

Feathers of broiler chickens were autoclaved for 30 to 70 min and feather moisture content was varied from 50 to 70% with no addition, addition of 0.2 to 0.6% sodium hydroxide or addition of 0.2 to 0.6% proteolytic enzyme. During processing there was marked degradation of cystine and smaller losses of the limiting amino acids lysine, methionine and histidine. Most of the lost cystine seemed to be converted to lanthionine. Digestibility (in pepsin-HCl solution) and solubility (in alkali or acid solvents) of feather meal protein were increased as a result of processing. (Abstract retrieved from CAB Abstracts by CABI’s permission)