Chicken Feather Keratin Peptides for the Control of Keratinocyte Migration

Cláudia M Botelho,Duarte Toubarro,Augusto Costa-Barbosa,Hugo Dinis,Pedro Ferreira-Santos,Paula Sampaio,José A Teixeira,Nelson Simões,Hugo Osório

doi:10.3390/app11156779

Abstract

FAO estimates that in 2030 the poultry meat production could reach 120 million tons, which is a challenge in terms of waste management. Feathers are mainly composed of keratin, an important biomaterial. Using feathers as a source of keratin will minimize the waste generated, while contributing to supply an important material for several industries, such as pharmaceutical and biomedical. The peptides were extracted from the feathers by microbial degradation. In this study, we evaluated the peptides effect on keratinocyte metabolic activity and migration. The influence of these peptides on non-activated and activated macrophages was also assessed. It was demonstrated that depending on the keratin peptide fraction in contact with keratinocytes, it is possible to modulate the migration rate of the keratinocytes. Peptide fraction with low molecular weight increases migration, while peptides with a high range of molecular sizes decreases it. Some peptide fractions induce the secretion of TNF-α in non-activated macrophages and not on activated macrophages, demonstrating that these peptides should only be placed in contact with cells, in the context of an ongoing inflammatory process. This work is a step forward on the understanding of keratin peptides influence on keratinocytes and immune cells system cells, macrophages.

Highlights

Cellular migration is of the utmost importance for several mechanisms, such as immune response, wound repair and tissue homeostasis [21]
This study demonstrated that the microbial degradation of chicken feathers has significant advantages
The production of TNF-α was not exacerbated by the presence of the keratin peptides if there was a pre-activation of macrophages

Summary

Introduction

Due to economic and environmental pressures, the industry is forced to find better ways to deal with feathers waste and generate economic value. This is important due to the EU Directive 1999/31/EC on the landfill of waste [5], which restricts the disposal of waste with a significant concentration of biodegradable materials and with high burning values, such as feathers. It is an opportunity to create high-value products that can be used, for example, in the pharmaceutical and dermo-cosmetic industry In this way, chicken feathers can be recycled and provide high-value materials, decreasing economic and environmental pressures [4]. The poultry industry could receive a boost based on renewable and sustainable growth

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