Microbial Decomposition of Feather Waste

Abstract

Keratin is generally found as an α-keratin helix form in hair, nails, horns and β-keratin sheet form found in feathers, scales, beaks and claws. β-keratin contains a domain rich in residues favoring to form β-sheet structures associated with the filament framework. ‘N’ and ‘C’ terminal domains are associated with the matrix and forms cross-linking via disulfide bonds. Several million tons of feather waste are generated by poultry industries each year. Since this waste is rich in protein, it contains excellent potential as a protein source for animal feed and other applications.Bacterial and fungal strains used in microbial degradation of feathers are summarized. Various species from the bacterium genus are involved in keratin degradation including Bacillus, Stenotrophomonas, Pseudomonas, Brevibacillus, Fusarium, Geobacillus, Chryseobacterium, Xanthomonas and Serratia which are some keratin degrading bacteria. Actinomycetes and fungi also contribute to feather degradation by the enzyme activity of keratinases.