Chrysosporium Indicum Research Articles

Effect of temperature and pH on keratinophilic fungus Chrysosporium indicum in vitro conditions

Hyphomycetes includes keratinophilic, dermatophytes and non dermatophytes filamentous fungi. Keratinophilic fungi growth is effected by biotic and environmental factors. Evaluation of effect of pH and temperature as physical conditions was observed . In the present investigation the steps have been undertaken to study the effect of temperature and Ph on keratinophilic fungus Chrysosporium indicum in vitro condition. The study of fungus has specific range of favourable pH and temperature. The normal growth of chrysoporium inducing was observed between 250C to 350C, where maximum growth and speculation was observed at 30. There has been a drastic reduction in fungal growth below 100C or 150C and speculation and growth declined at above 350C. So, it is observed that between 25 0C to 350C fungal growth and sporulation occur favorably .Below 100C and above 350C did not favour the growth and reproduction of keratinophilic fungi. Effect of hydrogen ion concentration was observed particularly for Chrysosporium indicum. Favourable hydrogen ion concentration for mycelial growth was 7.00. In present study Chrysosporium indicum fungal hyphae growth was changed with pH and the maximum growth was found at the end of incubation day is about pH 7 to 7.5

Identification of Keratinophilic Fungi in Urban Waste and Cattle Field Soil of Kanpur, India for Environmental Pollution Management

Kanpur is a city which has huge number of leather product units and leather processing plants. These units are one of major contributors of keratinous waste and produces keratinous material as waste in the form of hairs, hides, dermis. During the present study 83 keratinophilic fungi were isolated from 40 soil samples of urban waste and cattle field habitat of various localities. From 20 samples of urban waste, 44 keratinophilic fungi were isolated, 39 fungi recorded from Cattle field. The frequency of genera Chrysosporium was recorded in urban waste (29.54%) and cattle field soil (20.51%). Maximum (13.83%) frequency was recorded in the case of Chrysosporium indicum in urban waste.

Isolation of Chrysosporium indicum from poultry soil for keratinase enzyme, its purification and partial characterization

Keratinases are produced by microorganisms as fungi, actinomycetes and bacteria and have the capacity to degrade tough insoluble keratin proteins, including feathers. Feathers are waste produced from the poultry industry worldwide and accumulated as solid waste. Therefore, keratinolytic fungal strains Chrysosporium indicum were isolated by hair baiting method from poultry farm soil of Punjab, India. Isolated C. indicum were screened for proteolytic activity on skimmed milk agar. Field Emission Scanning Electron Microscopy (FeSEM) analysis confirmed morphological characters as C. indicum. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy analysis was studied for the structural and mechanism analysis of feather degraded during keratinase production. Keratinase enzyme was purified 48.03% recovery by ammonium sulphate precipitation, dialysis for desalting and chromatography. Diethylaminoethyl sepharose (DEAE sepharose) and Sephadex-G75 column were used to perform chromatography and partial characterization of the keratinase for temperature, pH, and substrate. The maximum keratinase activity was observed at 500C, at pH 10. The maximum enzyme activity of 289.1 U/ml was observed with keratin powder as substrate and minimum enzyme activity 67.1 U/ml with keratin azure. This is the first report on the purification and characterization of keratinase by C. indicum using DEAE sepharose as affinity chromatography for the purification of the keratinase enzyme.

Keratinolysis of chicken feather and human hair by nondermatophytic keratinophilic fungi isolated from soil

Development in food industry increases consumption of chicken by people and it is estimated that tons of poultry feathers are produced by poultry farms. Hairs are other forms of keratinous waste which is generated in huge amounts by leather industries and parlours worldwide. Chicken feathers and hairs are waste contains high-quality protein, hard to degraded. Eleven nondermatophytic keratinophilic fungi were isolated from soil by hair baiting method and were used to deteriorate hairs and feathers. Pictographic authentication showed that the microbial incidence started with surface colonization of keratinous substrate, mechanical interference of substrate by penetrating hyphae and development of broad perforating organs. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) analysis of degraded and undegraded hair and the feather was made. In the sulphoxide region at 1073, the band corresponding to S-O was observed with low intensity and poorly visible in control feathers, while in degraded feather intensity of the band was high in case of Chrysosporium indicum and Chrysosporium tropicum. In Hairs, S-O band was more intense in C indicum as compared to C. tropicum while it was absent in undegraded human hair. The present work observed keratin degradation activity on human hair and chicken feather by FTIR spectra which are useful in the study of structure and mechanism of keratinolysis. Keratinous waste degradation has great potential to convert them into various byproducts such as enzymes, amino acids, biofertilizer and animal feed.

A study on the prevalence of keratinophilic fungal biota of semi-arid region of Rajasthan, India

Keratinophilic fungi are morphologically and physiologically allied molds that produce the keratinase enzyme which degrades the keratin materials in or on the soil. Fifty soil samples were collected from various habitats of Rajasthan namely Jaipur, Ajmer, Alwar and Sikar in India. Out of 154 isolates, a total of 31 keratinophilic fungal species of 16 genera was recovered, including Chrysosporium tropicum (11.04%), Chrysosporium indicum (9.09%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (8.44%), Fusarium solani (7.79%), Trichophyton rubrum (7.14%), Microsporum canis (5.84%), and Aspergillus terreus (4.19%). The frequency of these keratinophilic fungi is also discussed in relation to soil pH. The most of the fungi (47.40%) were isolated from the soil samples with pH 7.00 to 7.99. Chrysosporium indicum (5.84%) reported since 8.00–8.99 pH, while Fusarium solani (5.19%), Microsporum canis (4.55%) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (4.55%) between 7.00 and 7.99 pH. This study stipulates that the soils of Rajasthan may be major reservoirs of certain keratinophilic fungi.

Prevalence of keratinophiic fungi and other dermatophytes from soils of Nnewi in Anambra state, Nigeria

This study was carried out to isolate and identify the keratinophilic fungi and other dermatophytes present in soils of Otolo Nnewi, Nnewi north local government area, Anambra state, Nigeria. Eighty soil samples were collected from four habitats (playgrounds, abattoir, public parks, and poultry farms) of Otolo Nnewi; and were screened for the presence of keratinophilic fungi and dermatophytes, using hair baiting techniques for isolation of these fungi. Of which, 69 soil samples (86%) were positive for fungal growth. Fungal growth appearing on the baits after 2-4 weeks of incubation at 37°C were macroscopically and microscopically examined, and were also cultured on Sabroaud dextrose agar (SDA). These fungal isolates were identified on the basis of colony and microscopic features. A total of 150 isolates of keratinophiic fungi were detected. The isolated fungi were classified into 19 species belonging to 11 genera mainly; Chrysosporium indicum, C. tropicum, Aspergillus flavus, Microsporum gypseum and Trichophyton terrestre were isolated frequently. C. indicum (13%) was the most predominant isolated species; C. tropicum (12%) was the second, followed by A. flavus (11%). In the current study; M. gypseum (9.3%) was the most common isolated dermatophyte, followed by T. terrestre (6%) and T. rubrum (6%). M. canis was isolated only from soils of abattoir and public parks. Moreover, C. zonatum, T. mentagrophytes, Alternaria alternata and Fusarium oxysporum were also isolated. There was significant statistical difference (p < 0.05) between the keratinophilic fungi and dermatophytes isolated from soil samples of these different habitats. Results obtained from this study indicated the wide occurrence of keratinophilic fungi in the studied area, which were potential agents of human and animals fungal diseases.

Discovery of Two Chrysosporium Species with Keratinolytic Activity from Field Soil in Korea

In an ongoing survey of Korean indigenous fungi, two fungal strains (KNU16-74 and KNU16-99) belonging to the genus Chrysosporium were isolated from field soil in Gyeongnam, Korea. Morphological characterization and phylogenetic analysis using sequence of the internal transcribed spacer regions were carried out to confirm its precise identification. These strains were identified as Chrysosporium indicum (KNU16-74) and Chrysosporium fluviale (KNU16-99). To examine the keratin degradation efficiency of these two fungal species, human hair strands were incubated with fungus culture. Results revealed that these two fungal species have the ability to degrade keratin substrate. This is the first report of these two species in Korea.

Keratinophilic fungi from the vicinity of salt pan soils of Sambhar lake Rajasthan (India)

Forty soil samples were collected from seven sites in the vicinity of Sambhar lake Rajasthan, India and screened for the presence of keratinophilic fungi using hair baiting techniques for isolation. Seventeen isolates were recovered and identified. The cultures were identified by recognition of their macro- and micro- morphological features. Their identification was confirmed by BLAST using ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA region and sequences have been deposited in NCBI data base. A total of 34 species belonging to 29 genera were isolated. Among the dermatophytes and related keratinophilic fungi Chrysosporium indicum was predominant followed by Ctenomyces serratus, C. tropicum, Keratinophyton durus, Auxarthron conjugatum, Gymnascella dankaliensis, Gymnoascoideus petalosporus and Uncinocarpus reesii. Twenty-six species belonging to 22 genera represented other species. Our study indicates that keratinophilic fungi and species are found in the soils at the vicinity of the Sambhar Lake, and human activities can be the potential source of pathogenic fungi.

Chemical Composition, Toxicity and Antidermatophytic Activity of Essential Oil of Trachyspermum ammi

Present study was designed to explore the essential oil of Trachyspermum ammi and its fractions against fungi causing dermatophytoses in humans along with toxicological evaluation on mice. The chemical composition of T. ammi essential oil analyzed by gas chromatography and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry presented 20 compounds. Thymol was found to be the major compound (58.88 %) followed by p-cymene (24.02 %), γ-terpinene (13.77 %) and β-pinene (1.90 %). Antidermatophytic activity was determined by disc diffusion method and minimum inhibitory concentration. Maximum zone of inhibition was observed against Chrysosporium tropicum (63.83±0.166 mm) followed by Trichophyton simii (57±0.288 mm), Trichophyton rubrum (51.33±0.333 mm) and Chrysosporium indicum (45±0.577 mm). Minimum inhibitory concentration of T. ammi oil ranged from 0.025 to 0.5 μl/ml against test fungi. T. ammi oil was further subjected for fraction separation through Buchii's glass oven equipment. Five fractions were separated at different temperature conditions labeled as TAI-TAV. Maximum effects were seen in case of TAIV and TAV fractions. Excellent results of TAV was observed against Microsporum gypseum (0.015±0.002 μl/ml) followed by Microsporum canis (0.017±0.002 μl/ml), Trichophyton rubrum (0.02±0.000 μl/ml) and Candida albicans (0.05±0.003 μl/ml). No work on T. ammi essential oil fractions, their antidermatophytic activity and toxicological behavior on Swiss Albino mice were reported till date. Acute dermal irritation assay was applied for toxicological studies on Albino mice. Low concentration up to 3 % did not show any irritation on mice skin. At 5 % concentration 3 mice showed mild erythema, while on 7 % concentration all five mice exhibited well defined erythema. Present study concluded that essential oil of T. ammi and its fractions have strong antidermatophytic properties with no side effect at low concentrations and thus could produce alternative therapeutics to current antibiotics.

Antimycotic activity of some essential oil against keratinophlic fungi

In the present investigation experiment were performed to evaluate the effect of some essential oils on the growth of four test organism i.e., Arthrodermae benhamial , chrysosporium indicum Malbranchea aurantiaca and Microsporium gypseum. Oil of Ocimum basilicum seems to be toxic against A. benhamiae and M. gypseum caused maximum inhibition of 40 mm. Young - Young Oil showed minimum inhibition Zone (9 mm) against A. benhancial and M. aurantiaca . Among the contituents of essential oil of O. americanum , acetate of Eugenol and Geranyl showed toxic effect against almost all the keratinophilic fungi tested here.

English

The objective of this study was to evaluate the occurrence of mycoflora in 30 samples of healthy goat&rsquo;s hair and sheep wool collected from different localities in Taif, Saudi Arabia, and the ability of some fungal isolates for keratinase activities. Sixty four species belonging to 28 genera were collected from the two substrates. The wool of sheep was polluted with fungi than goat hairs, and contained high total counts and number of fungal genera and species. Nine species of true dermatophytes isolated belonged to Microsporum (3 species) and Trichophyton (6 species). Several keratinophilic species were isolated of which, Chrysosporium indicum, Chrysosporium keratinophilum and Chrysosporium tropicum were the most prevalent. The commonest saprophytes in order of frequency were members of the genera, Aspergillus, Penicillium, Alternaria and Cochliobolus. In addition, the other genera found included Acremonium, Chaetomum, Cladosporium, Cochliobolus, Fusarium, Mucor, Paecilomyces, Phoma, Rhizopus, Scopulariopsis, Stachybotrys, Trichoderma and others. Five species from 20 tested isolates (Aspergillus niger, C. keratinophilum, C. tropicum, Microsporum gypseum and Trichoderma viride) had high keratinase activity. The results of this study indicate that both goat hair and sheep wool provide a suitable habitat for dermatophytes and other keratinophilic fungi. Most of these fungi play an important role in the degradation of keratin substrates, so that they can help preserve the environment and reduce pollution. &nbsp; Key words: Mycoflora, goat&rsquo;s hair, sheep wool, keratinase activities, Saudi Arabia.

Fungal Succession on Keratinous Hair and Nail Baits of Human Origin.

Mycologically, succession is more precisely the sequential occupation of the same site by thalli (normally mycelia) either of different fungi or of different associations of fungi. For the study of fungal succession on hair bait, different soil samples were collected from different habitats of Jaipur. The fungal growth isolated from soil samples was observed macroscopically and microscopically for the appearance of fungi at regular interval of 15days for more than 6months. Regular microscopic examination of fungi of soil samples baited with hair showed a successional colonization of non-keratinophilic and keratinophilic fungi. In the first phase of 30-day incubation, five non-keratinophilic fungi appeared. After 45days, three non-keratinophilic fungi appeared together and three keratinophilic fungi viz. Geotrichum spp., Coccidiodes immitis and Aspergillus niger. In third phase of 60days, growth of only one Fusarium spp. as non-keratinophilic fungi and four keratinophilic fungi viz. Geotrichum spp. Chrysosporium spp., Chrysosporium indicum and Microsporum gypseum was observed. During the study, Fusarium spp. showed persistent growth from initial phase to third phase of incubation. After 75days, all the non-keratinophilic fungi disappeared fully and seven fungi viz. Geotrichum spp., Chrysosporium tropicum, Chrysosporium evolceanui, C. indicum, Trichophyton simii, Trichophyton terrestre and M. gypseum were observed as keratinophilic fungi. In the last phase of 90-day incubation, three keratinophilic fungi viz. Geotrichum spp., C. evolceanui and M. gypseum were also disappeared and four keratinophilic fungi like C. tropicum, T. simii, C. indicum and T. terrestre were found to be more persistent fungi.

Incidence of Keratinophilic Fungi from the Selected Soils of Kaziranga National Park, Assam (India).

Seventy-eight soil samples were collected from the various locations in the vicinity of Kaziranga National Park (Assam), India, during April to October 2009 and screened for the presence of keratinophilic fungi using the hair baiting techniques for isolation. Thirty-nine isolates were recovered and identified by recognition of their macro- and micromorphological features. Their identification was also confirmed by the BLAST search of sequences of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA region against the NCBI/GenBank data and compared with deposited sequences for identification purpose. Eleven species related to seven genera were recorded viz. Aphanoascus durus (1.28%), Arthroderma tuberculatum (3.84%), Arthroderma corniculatum (1.28%), Chrysosporium indicum (16.66%), C. tropicum (3.84%), Ctenomyces serratus (5.12%), Keratinophyton punsolae (1.28%), Microsporum appendiculatum (1.28%), Microsporum gypseum complex (11.53%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (11.28%) and T. terrestre (2.56%).

Incidence of Keratinophilic Fungi from Selected Soils of Vidarbha Region of Maharashtra State, India

One hundred and fifty samples were collected from eleven districts of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra state and screened for the presence of keratinophilic fungi using hair baiting technique for isolation. Seventy-one isolates were recovered and identified. The cultures were identified using macro- and micromorphological features. Their identification was also confirmed by the BLAST search of sequences of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA region against the NCBI/Genbank data and compared with deposited sequences for identification purpose. Thirteen species of eight genera were isolated, namely,Auxarthron conjugatum(2.00%),Chrysosporium indicum(14.00%),Chrysosporium evolceanui(2.66%),Chrysosporium tropicum(4.66%),Chrysosporium zonatum(1.33%),Chrysosporiumstate ofCtenomyces serratus(3.33%),Gymnascella dankaliensis(1.33%),Gymnascella hyalinospora(0.66%),Gymnoascoideus petalosporus(0.66%),Microsporum gypseumcomplex (9.33%),Trichophyton mentagrophytes(2.00%),T. terrestre(3.33%), andUncinocarpus queenslandicus(2.00%). This study indicates that the soils of Vidarbha region of Maharashtra may be significant reservoirs of certain keratinophilic fungi.

Isolation of keratinophilic fungi from selected soils of Sanjay Gandhi National Park, Mumbai (India)

One hundred and twenty-five samples were collected from eight different sites in the vicinity of Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) and screened for the presence of keratinophilic fungi using hair baiting technique for isolation. Seventy-three isolates were recovered and identified. The cultures were identified using macro- and micro-morphological features. Their identification was also confirmed by the BLAST search of sequences of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA region against the NCBI/Genbank data and compared with deposited sequences for identification purpose. Thirteen species of nine genera were isolated viz. Aphanoascus durus (2.4%), Arthroderma corniculatum (1.6%), Auxarthron umbrinum (0.8%), Chrysosporium evolceanui (1.6%), Chrysosporium indicum (16.0%), Chrysosporium tropicum (2.4%), Chrysosporium zonatum (4.0%), Chrysosporium states of Arthroderma tuberculatum (0.8%), Chrysosporium state of Ctenomyces serratus (11.2%), Gymnascella dankaliensis (3.2%), Microsporum gypseum (12.0%), Myriodontium keratinophilum (0.8%) and Trichophyton mentagrophytes (1.6%). Representative of all thirteen species can release the protein in the range of 152.2-322.4 μg/mL in liquid media when grown on human hair in shake flask culture and also decompose 18.4-40.2% of human hair after four weeks of incubation. This study indicates that the soils of SGNP, Mumbai may be significant reservoirs of certain keratinophilic fungi. The keratinolytic activity of these fungi may be playing significant role in superficial infections to man and animals and recycling of keratinic material of this environment.

Insignificant antidermatophytic activity of Brassica campestris oil

Introduction: The aim of the present study was to investigate the antidermatophytic activity of Brassica campestris oil against selected dermatophytes through a disc diffusion technique. Materials and Methods : Four concentrations of mustard oil, 100%, 75%, 50%, and 25%, were screened against Trichophyton rubrum , Trichophyton simii, Chrysosporium indicum, and Chrysosporium tropicum through the disc diffusion technique. Results : The result showed that 25% and 50% concentrations of oil did not show any zone of inhibition. 75% and 100% concentration showed very poor activity against T. rubrum, T. simii, and C. indicum but in the case of C.tropicum, no zone of inhibition was observed . Conclusion: The mustard oil does not exhibited significant antidermatophytic activity in the disc diffusion method.

Prevalence of keratinophilic fungi in public park soils of Mumbai, India

The parks of Mumbai are frequently visited by local residents every morning and evening. However, there are no reports on the occurrence of keratinophilic fungi in these areas. The purpose of this research was to study the occurrence of keratinophilic fungi in the public parks of Mumbai. One hundred soil samples were collected from five public parks: Kamla Nehru Park, Powai Garden, CD Deshmukh Garden, Five Gardens and Chota Kashmir. Keratinophilic fungi were isolated by the hair baiting technique using human hair as keratin bait. The cultures were identified using macroand micro-morphological features. Identification was also confirmed by the BLAST search of sequences of the ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 rDNA region against the NCBI/Genbank data and compared with deposited sequences. The ability of these fungi to use human hair was also evaluated by release of protein in liquid media. A total of 75 strains of keratinophilic fungi were recovered from 100 (75.0%) soil samples. The isolated fungi were composed of eleven species of eight genera: &lt;em&gt;Arthrographis kalrae&lt;/em&gt;, A&lt;em&gt;uxarthron conjugatum&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Chrysosporium indicum&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;C. queenslandicum&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;C. zonatum, Gymnascella dankaliensis&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;G. hyalinospora&lt;/em&gt;,&lt;em&gt; Microsporum gypseum&lt;/em&gt; (15.0%), &lt;em&gt;Myriodontium keratinophilum&lt;/em&gt;, &lt;em&gt;Trichophyton mentagrophytes&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;Uncinocarpus reesii&lt;/em&gt;. These fungi can release 148.8-307.6 μg/mL protein in liquid media when grown on human hair in shake flask culture and also decompose 16.2-38.6% of human hair after four weeks of incubation. Our study indicates that keratinophilic fungi are to be found in the soils of various public parks in Mumbai and that human hair can be a source of pathogenic fungi.

Prevalence of keratinophilic fungi in soils of St. Kitts and Nevis

Information on the prevalence of keratinophilic fungi in West Indies is scanty. Occurrence of keratinophilic fungi in soils of St. Kitts and Nevis has not been investigated previously. The prevalence of keratinophilic fungi was investigated in 108 samples of soils of varying habitats from St. Kitts and 55 such samples from Nevis by hair-baiting technique. Fungal growths appearing on the hair baits after four to eight weeks of incubation at room temperature were microscopically examined and cultured on mycological media. Cultures were identified on the basis of colonial and microscopic features. Forty-nine (45%) of the samples from St. Kitts and 38 (69%) from Nevis were positive for keratinophilic fungi. Microsporum gypseum complex, a well-known geophilic dermatophyte, was the most frequently recovered species being present in 15.7% of soils of St. Kitts and 40% of soils of Nevis. The next commonest species recovered was Chrysosporium indicum, represented by 15 (13.9%) isolates from St. Kitts and seven (12.7%) isolates from Nevis. Other infrequently isolated keratinophilic species included Chrysosporium tropicum, Chrysosporium keratinophilum, and unidentified Chrysosporium species. This study is the first of its kind in the islands of St. Kitts and Nevis. A high incidence of M. gypseum complex in the soil of these islands is a noteworthy finding of public health significance.

Incidence of dermatophytes and other keratinophilic fungi in the schools and college playground soils of Jaipur, India

A total of 50 soil samples collected from school and college playgrounds soil of Jaipur, India were examined for the prevalence of keratinophilic fungi and related dermatophytes. Two keratinous fragments, human hair and nails were used for the growth of fungi by hair-baiting technique. A total number of 25 species belonging to 16 genera were recovered, 8 of which were common to both the school and college playgrounds soil. Dermatophytes and closely related species were represented by 25 species; of which the following were the most commonly found species in soil:Chrysosporium tropicum (26%), Chrysosporium indicum (22%), Trichophyton mentagrophytes (16%), Microsporum gypseum (14%), etc. Some of the isolates of these related and dermatophytes like Trichophyton verrucosum, Trichophytontonsurans, Cladosporium sp., Paecilomyces sp., Aspergillus nidulans, Aspergillusversicolar, Alternaria sp., Fusarium moniliforme, etc, were first isolated from playgrounds soil of Jaipur. The selection of certain keratinolytic isolates could become useful in managing polluted soil of playgrounds by students and people. To our knowledge, This appears to be the first report concerning the isolation of T. tonsurans, A. versicolar, Cladosporium sp., Trichophyton verrucosum, Alternaria sp.,Paecilomyces sp., F. moniliforme and A. nidulans as keratinolytic fungi from soil samples of Jaipur (India). Key words: Playgrounds soil, keratinophilic fungi, dermatophytes, Jaipur.

Incidence of keratinophilic fungi from the soils of Vedanthangal Water Bird Sanctuary (India)

Fifty-three soil samples were collected from various sites in the vicinity of Vedanthangal Water Bird Sanctuary and screened for the presence of keratinophilic fungi using the hair baiting techniques for isolation. Twenty-eight isolates were recovered and identified by recognition of their macro- and micromorphological features. Seven species related to five genera were recorded viz. Auxarthron conjugatum (1.89%), Chrysosporium fluviale (3.77%), Chrysosporium indicum (20.75%), Chrysosporium tropicum (7.55%), Chrysosporium state of Ctenomyces serratus (5.66%), Gymnoascus petalosporus (1.89%) and Microsporum gypseum complex (11.32%). The study shows that migratory birds harbour a variety of keratinophiles and may be a potential source of transfer of these fungi from one location to another.