Poultry Feathers Research Articles

Monascin and monascinol, azaphilonoid pigments from Mortierella polycephala AM1: in silico and in vitro targeting of the angiogenic VEGFR2 kinase

The fungus, Mortierella polycephala is one of the most productive sources of anticancer bioactive compounds namely those of pigment nature. During our investigation of the produced bioactive metabolites by the terrestrial M. polycephala AM1 isolated from Egyptian poultry feather waste, two main azaphilonoid pigments, monascin (1) and monascinol (2) were obtained as major products; their structures were identified by 1D (1H&13C) and 2D (1H-1H COSY, HMBC) NMR and HRESI-MS spectroscopic data. Biologically, cytotoxic activities of these compounds were broadly studied compared with the fungal extract. To predict the biological target for the presumed antitumor activity, an in silico study was run toward three proteins, topoisomerase IIα, topoisomerase IIβ, and VEGFR2 kinase. Monascinol (2) was expected to be moderately active against VEGFR2 kinase without any anticipated inhibition toward topo II isoforms. The in vitro study confirmed the docked investigation consistently and introduced monascinol (2) rather than its counterpart (1) as a potent inhibitor to the tested VEGFR2 kinase. Taxonomically, the fungus was identified using morphological and genetic assessments.

Multi–class analysis of 30 antimicrobial residues in poultry feathers by liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry

ABSTRACT Poultry feathers are nowadays partially re-introduced into the animal food chain and the environment. They are valorised by their transformation into feather meal in order to be used as fertilisers in agriculture but also in animal feed (in particular, pet food and fish feed). However, unlike food producing animals for humans, feathers from poultry animals are not subject to a ban or regulatory limits on the presence of antibiotic residue after veterinary treatment. Feathers could therefore be a potential reservoir of antibiotic residues, unintentionally exposing the environment and animals through food, which might contribute to the emergence of antibiotic resistance. To this end, a multi-class liquid chromatographic method coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) was developed for the detection and determination of residues of 30 antibiotics from eight groups of antibacterial (quinolones, lincosamides, macrolides, penicillins, phenicols, tetracyclines, sulphonamides and diaminopyrimidines) in feathers. The extraction of the analytes from the feathers was carried out by the salting out technique. The separation of the analytes employed a Kinetex C18 column. Quantification was made using internal standards. All analytes have been validated according to the performance criteria of Decision 2002/657/EC. Trueness of the method ranged from to 93% to 111% for all analytes and intermediate precision were to 1.2–18.8%. The limits of quantification (LOQ) were from 13 to 150 µg kg−1 depending on the analytes. The method is suitable for the monitoring and quantification of antibiotic residues in feathers over the range 13–600 µg kg−1 depending on the compound.

Biowaste valorization by conversion to nanokeratin-urea composite fertilizers for sustainable and controllable nutrient release

Novel nanocomposite-based fertilizers produced through intelligent disposal of an abundant carbon-reach biological waste product, i.e. poultry feathers, will play an increasingly important role in sustaining global economy. Affordable, efficient, and sustainable, these fertilizer platforms derived from low or even negative value products provide a competitive alternative to conventional chemical agents. In this work, bio-fertilizer nanocomposites are fabricated from urea and keratin derived from feathers, the primary negative value by-products of poultry industry, and loaded into sustainable matrix, i.e. wood chips for sustained nutrient release. Urea-coated nanokeratin composites retain a significant fraction of the extracted organic and inorganic nutrients, and application of the loaded wood chips on the soil led to a significant improvement in germination rate, height of plant and number of leaves of cowpea compared to using urea alone, attributed to sustained release of nitrogen from the composite that prevented over-fertilization. Presence of disulphide bonds in the nanocomposite enables more efficient degradation of nanokeratin by soil microbes, providing a steady supply of essential nutrients like carbon, sulphur and nitrogen to plants. Our findings described in this communication suggest that nanokeratin-loaded wood chips may provide an efficient environmentally friendly strategy for improving soil fertility without the release of nitrous oxide, an anthropogenic greenhouse gas known to trap 300 times more heat than CO2.

Unveiling the keratinolytic transcriptome of the black carpet beetle (Attagenus unicolor) for sustainable poultry feather recycling.

The black carpet beetle (BCB) is a household pest unique in its ability to digest complex proteins such as keratin that makes up the majority of feather structure. Despite voluminous yield and high protein content ( > 85%), feathers are poorly digested by most known organisms and are thereby rendered an environmental hazard. Furthermore, keratinolytic microbial strains are typically thermophilic and therefore economically and environmentally unsustainable. Given the BCB's ability to digest wool, feathers, and other keratin-rich materials, we assembled a de novo transcriptome of larvae fed on either feathers or standard chow. All proteolytic enzymes were identified via homology to the MEROPS database and subsequently annotated for a complete overview of enzymatic activity and distribution of peptidase clans in the transcriptome. Both differential expression and sequence homology screening were then used to identify potentially keratinolytic candidates from the assembly to be used in future expression experiments. The BCB transcriptome showed a high proportion of serine (22.6%) and cysteine (18.9%) proteases as well as metallopeptidases (25.5%) compared with other insect species. Regarding differential expression, serine and metalloproteases represented a large proportion of upregulated genes in the feather-fed group, constituting 42.9% and 57.1% of upregulated proteases, respectively. Additionally, several candidate transcripts identified through homology screening showed significant sequence overlap to seven existing keratinases, indicating a strong likelihood of keratinolytic function in this organism. KEY POINTS: • A de novo transcriptome of black carpet beetle larvae was assembled. • The transcriptome consisted of 67% of serine, cysteine, and metalloproteases. • Differential transcriptomes of beetles fed feather and chow were compared.

Poultry feather disulphide bond breakdown to enable bio-based polymer production

With oil supplies, needed for plastic production, decreasing dramatically, there is a clear driver for alterative polymers from sustainable resources. Poultry feathers, containing ∼90% keratin, are one source of natural polymer with huge potential for biopolymer production. However, the presence of crosslinks, known as disulphide bonds, hinders processability. This paper reviews techniques to enable breakage of disulphide bonds through use of reduction agents (sodium sulphite and sodium sulphate) and hydrolysis. Samples were analysed using FTIR and DSC to quantify achievable bond breakage, effect on thermal properties and changes in protein concentration. A review on the effect of particle size on disulphide bond breakage was also conducted, along with quantifying the reformation of bonds post-processing. Finally, a bicinchoninic acid (BCA) protein assay was used to quantify changes to soluble protein content, key to predicting if biopolymer formation can occur. The results showed a final disulphide bond breakage of between 48% and 67% was achievable using these techniques. It was also shown that disulphide bond content exhibited up to 60% bond reformation post treatment. These reductions in disulphide bonds increased the thermoplastic nature and apparent protein content. Despite achieving the highest bond breakage percentage, hydrolysis caused degradation of useful proteins, rendering the material unsuitable for biopolymer production. Results suggested that treatment with sodium sulphite (4.3% wt. of feathers) and use of a small particle size (0–100 µm), sufficiently altered the properties of raw feathers to enable feather biopolymer production.

Environmental aspects and economic evaluation of new green hydrolysis method for waste feather processing

In recent years, an increase in the chicken meat process industry has been growing quickly, which brings a large amount of difficult to process waste, chicken feathers. These billions of kilograms create a serious waste problem over the world, furthermore, poultry feather processing is not only particularly difficult but also relatively expensive. In fact, there is no technology suitable for processing such huge quantities of feathers to guarantee sustainable development of the chicken meat industry together with processing of waste feathers. This article introduces a newly designed and original, highly efficient and environmentally friendly method of physicochemical hydrolysis of waste feathers. The hydrolysis is carried out in the presence of a weak organic carboxylic acid; thus, the resulting hydrolysate does not contain any salts or ashes. Therefore, a resulting hydrolysate, which includes a mixture of amino acids, peptides, proteins, glycoproteins and free fatty acids, is suitable for a variety of applications; e.g. as a chondroprotective agent in the treatment of joint diseases, nutrients for crop plants or targeted biostimulants for agriculture. This paper is focused not only on the process scale-up but also on environmental aspects and economic evaluations to bring general view of the process.Graphic abstract

Mechanical Properties of Keratin Composite Films Using Poultry Feathers as Reinforcement Fibers

In this work, the chemical and low temperature nitrogen plasma methods were adopted to treat the raw material, untreated poultry feather (UPF), to obtain thechemically treated poultry feather (CPF), plasma treated poultry feather (PPF) and chemically & plasma treated poultry feather (CPPF), respectively. Then the four kinds of feather fibers were used as reinforcement fibers to prepare feather/keratin composite films with the ratio from 1% to 12% (relative to the mass of keratin in the film), respectively. The effect of feather treatment method and the feather fiber content onthe mechanical properties of films were studied. The results show that UPF has poor enhancement performance in keratin films, and CPF and PPF have better reinforcing effect than UPF. The keratin films reinforced by CPPF have relatively strong breaking strength, indicating that the CPPF plays an active reinforcing role in the composite film and has the most potential as a reinforcement fiber. For all the samples, when the fiber content is around 7%, the composite film has the best mechanical properties.

Microwave-assisted Degradation of Poultry Feather to Synthesize Protein-based Surfactant

Poultry feather is hydrolyzed into peptides and amino acids in sub-critical water without any acid or alkali as catalyst under microwave-assisted heating to produce protein-based surfactant. The optimal hydrolysis condition is as follows: temperature 200 °C, time 60 min, and the yield of peptides and amino acids 84.31%. The critical micelle concentration (CMC) and surface tension of the product of peptides and amino acids are 2.6 g/L and 48.2 mN/m. In order to increase lipophilicity, subsequently anionic protein-based surfactant was synthesized by acylation reaction between the hydrolysis product of peptides and amino acidsand oleoyl chloride. The CMC and surface tension decreased greatly with linkage with oleoyl. The synthesized anionic surfactant with weight ratios of 10% (wt.%) hydrolysis liquid/oleoyl chloride of 3:1, 4.5:1 and 6:1 are 0.5, 0.7 and 0.8 g/L and corresponding surface tension are 30.1, 34.0 and 35.7mN/m.

Recycled PVC with chicken feathers as bio-load

The poultry industry is responsible for a significant amount of waste. This bio-load is generally transformed into food with low nutritional value, or else incinerated. Not only are these options unsustainable, but it is also a missed opportunity to contribute to the circular economy. In this article, we try to contribute to the development of methods and strategies necessary to transform poultry feathers from waste for disposal into valuable raw materials. The chicken feathers are collected and washed several times, after drying in an oven, and finally crushed to obtain a flour which will be a bio-filler for the PVC used in this flexible article. Different percentages are used to find the one that most improves the mechanical characteristics of recycled PVC. The tensile test is carried out on test specimens made of recycled PVC without additives and recycled PVC reinforced with 5, 10 and 15% chicken feathers. It is deduced from the test results that the value of 10% was the most adequate to improve the mechanical characteristics of recycled PVC.

Insight into metal immobilization and microbial community structure in soil from a steel disposal dump phytostabilized with composted, pyrolyzed or gasified wastes

The soil system is a key component of the environment that can serve as a sink of pollutants. Using processed waste for aided phytostabilization of metals (HMs) in contaminated soils is an attractive phytoremediation technique that integrates waste utilization and recycling. In this study, we evaluated the effect of biologically and thermally processed wastes, i.e. sewage sludge compost (CSS), poultry feather ash (AGF) and willow chip biochar (BWC), on phytostabilization of contaminated soil from a steel disposal dump. Greenhouse experiments with Lupinus luteus L. and amendments (dosage: 3.0%, w/w) were conducted for 58 days. Soil toxicity was evaluated with Ostracodtoxkit and Phytotoxkit tests. At the end of the experiment, soil pH, plant biomass yield, and HM accumulation in plant tissues were determined. HM distribution, HM stability (reduced partition index) and potential environmental risk (mRI index) in the soil were assessed. During phytostabilization, changes in the diversity of the rhizospheric bacterial community were monitored. All amendments significantly increased soil pH and biomass yield and decreased soil phytotoxicity. AGF and BWC increased accumulation of individual HMs by L. luteus roots better than CSS (Cu and Cr, and Ni and Zn, respectively). The soil amendments did not improve Pb accumulation by the roots. Improvements in HM stability depended on amendment type: Ni and Pb stability were improved by all amendments; Zn stability, by AGF, and BWC; Cd stability, by AGF; and Cr stability, by BWC. AGF reduced the mRI most effectively. Microbial diversity in amended soils increased with time of phytostabilization and was up to 9% higher in CSS amended soil than in control soil. AGF application favored the abundance of the genera Arenimonas, Brevundimonas, Gemmatimonas and Variovorax, whose metabolic potential could have contributed to the better plant growth and lower mRI in that soil. In conclusion, AGF and BWC have great potential for restoring steel disposal dump areas, and the strategies researched here can contribute to achieving targets for sustainable development.

Composites of Semi-Rigid Polyurethane Foams with Keratin Fibers Derived from Poultry Feathers and Flame Retardant Additives.

Semi-rigid composites of polyurethane foams (SRPUF) modified with the addition of keratin flour from poultry feathers and flame retardant additives were manufactured. Ten percent by mass of keratin fibers was added to the foams as well as halogen-free flame retardant additives such as Fyrol PNX, expandable graphite, metal oxides, in amounts such that their total mass did not exceed 15%. Thermal and mechanical properties were tested. Water absorption, dimensional stability, apparent density and flammability of produced foams were determined. It was found that the use of keratin fibers and flame retardant additives changes the foam synthesis process, changes their structure and properties as well as their combustion process. The addition of the filler made of keratin fibers significantly limits the amount of smoke generated during foam burning. The most favorable reduction of heat and smoke release rate was observed for foams with the addition of 10% keratin fibers and 10% expandable graphite. Systems of reducing combustibility of polyurethane foams using keratin fillers are a new solution on a global scale.

Biodegradation of poultry feather using Streptomyces sp. for nitrogen and its effect on growth and yield of okra

Purpose Improper management of poultry feather (PF) leads to various environmental problems. Biodegradation of PF using Streptomyces sp. was initiated to recover N because PF is rich in keratin protein which is difficult to break down. Methods PF was collected, washed, chopped, and was transferred to plastic pots (200 ml each containing 30g PF). Streptomyces sp. was cultured using selective media and transferred to plastic pot at different concentrations (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 ml broth) with three replications. PF was composted under this condition for 75 days. The poultry feather compost (PFC) was used as fertilizer to grow okra in a separate experiment in pots. Different rates (0, 153, 306, 460, 613, and 766 kg ha-1) of PFC equivalent to 0, 50, 100, 150, 200, and 250 kg urea ha-1 based on N content was applied. Inorganic N was applied at the recommended dose (150 kg urea ha-1). Results Both total and available N content increased significantly in PFC with increasing concentration of Streptomyces sp. broth in composting media. Maximum N (15.31% total; 1.51% available) was found when PF was treated with 4 and 5 ml of Streptomyces sp. broth. Considering the plant’s agronomic attributes and fruit yield, the application of 460 kg ha-1 PFC was found most suitable for growing okra. Conclusion Composting of PF with Streptomyces sp. is a viable technique to recover N from PF. PFC can make N rich organic amendment and reduce the use of chemical fertilizer (urea) in the agricultural field.

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 Mineral By-Product from Gasification of Poultry Feathers for Removing Cd from Highly Contaminated Synthetic Wastewater

Ash from poultry feather gasification was investigated as an adsorbent for Cd removal from synthetic wastewater under a range of operational conditions: initial pH (2–8) and salinity (8–38 mS/cm) of wastewater, ash dosage (2.5–50 g/L), Cd concentration (25–800 mg/L) and contact time (5–720 min). The ash was highly alkaline and had low surface area and micropores averaging 1.12 nm in diameter. Chemical/mineralogical analysis revealed a high content of P2O5 (39.9 wt %) and CaO (35.5 wt %), and the presence of calcium phosphate, hydroxyapatite and calcium. It contained only trace amounts of heavy metals, BTEX, PAHs and PCBs, making it a safe mineral by-product. Cd adsorption was described best with Langmuir and pseudo-second order models. At pH 5, an ash dosage of 5 g/L, 40 min contact time and 100 mg Cd/L, 99% of Cd was removed from wastewater. The salinity did not affect Cd sorption. The maximum adsorption capacity of Cd was very high (126.6 mg/g). Surface precipitation was the main mechanism of Cd removal, possibly accompanied by ion exchange between Cd and Ca, coprecipitation of Cd with Ca-mineral components and Cd complexation with phosphate surface sites. Poultry ash effectively removes high concentrations of toxic Cd from wastewater.

Keratinase Biosynthesis from Waste Poultry Feathers for Proteinaceous Stain Removal

This study is aimed at assessing the keratinase production related to industrial detergent applications from a newly isolated Bacillus cereus IIPK35. The production was optimized through submerged ...

Preparation and Characterisation of Waste Poultry Feathers Composite Fibreboards.

The growth of poultry meat production is increasing industrial waste quantities every year. Feathers represent a huge part of the waste, and international directives and restrictions prevent landfilling of such biodegradable materials with high burning values. Furthermore, with their unique properties, poultry waste feathers are already a reliable resource for many byproducts, such as keratin extraction, fibres, hydrogel production, etc., all trying to achieve a high-added value. However, mass reduction of waste feathers into useful applications, such as development of alternative building materials, is also an important aspect. To take advantage of feathers’ thermal insulation capabilities, sound damping, and biodegradability, we worked towards mixing waste feathers with wood residues (wood shavings, dust, and mixed residues) for production of composite fibreboards, comparable to the market’s medium density fibreboards. The emphasis was to evaluate waste poultry feathers as the component of natural insulation composites, along with mixed waste wood residues, to improve their mechanical properties. Various composite fibreboards with different shares of wood and feathers were produced and tested for mechanical, thermal, and acoustic properties, and biodegradability, with comparison to typical particle boards on the market. The addition of waste feather fibres into the fibreboards’ structure improved thermal insulation properties, and the biodegradability of fibreboards, but decreased their bending strength. The sound transition acoustic loss results of the presented combination fibreboards with added feathers improved at mid and high frequencies. Finally, production costs are estimated based on small scale laboratory experiments of feather processing (cleaning and drying), with the assumption of cost reduction in cases of large industrial application.

Upcycling Poultry Feathers with (Nano)cellulose: Sustainable Composites Derived from Nonwoven Whole Feather Preforms

Poultry feathers are low cost, abundant bioderived materials that are often regarded as waste. In this work, we report a simple method akin to papermaking to upcycle whole poultry feather waste int...

Chicken feather waste degradation by Alternaria tenuissima and its application on plant growth

The use of chicken as food is rising day today and as byproduct 8.5 billion tons, poultry feathers are produced worldwide, whereas India contributes about 350 million tons per annum. It is a waste product of poultry industries, are considered a potential high-quality protein supplement owing to their crude protein content of more than 85%. In the present study Alternaria tenuissima a keratinophilic fungus was used for feather degradation in submerged state fermentation and soil. Total Protein releases were studied in submerged state fermentation by A. tenuissima are 122µg/ml and 238µg/ml in 15 and 25 days respectively. Lysine, Methionine, Cysteine and Valine were found 15.8, 6.8, 20.2, 7.5 µg/ml in 25 days, respectively. Chicken feathers were mixed with soil and inoculated with spore suspension for degradation of complex keratin protein into simpler organic forms. A. tenuissima degraded feathers in soil and enhances nutritional value. Five-gram feathers in 250 g soil mixtures were found better growth enhancers and increased height. This work will reduce the solid waste generated in the form of feathers from the poultry industry, and convert it into a simpler organic form that can be used by plants.

Transferring feather wastes to ductile keratin filaments towards a sustainable poultry industry

Technology for the transformation of waste feathers to quality regenerated filaments has been developed. Regardless of superior properties of natural keratin materials, previously developed regenerated materials from keratin had tensile properties much lower than their natural counterparts due to backbone hydrolysis and inefficient reconstruction of disulfide crosslinkages. In this work, tough keratin filaments have been regenerated from white duck feathers via efficient restoration of disulfide crosslinkages using a dithiol reducing agent. Dithiol substantially reserves free thiol groups in the extraction and formed lengthy intermolecular crosslinkages in regenerated keratin filaments. Due to the high degree of intermolecular reconstruction of disulfide bonds and formation of lengthy crosslinkages via dithiol chain-extension, the keratin filaments exhibited considerable improvements in mechanical properties, especially for ductility and water stability. The tenacity and elongation at break were 160.7 MPa and 14%, respectively. The filaments retained about 80% of the tenacity of natural feathers at either dry or wet conditions and demonstrated stretchability 150% higher than natural feathers. The fiber regeneration technology makes it possible to substitute primary fiber sources by renewable poultry feathers. Successful filament substitution or addition can bring more than 88-billion-dollar revenue. The technology not only contributes to a sustainable fiber and poultry industry but adds substantial values to poultry feathers.

Kinetics, detergent compatibility and feather-degrading capability of alkaline protease from Bacillus subtilis AKAL7 and Exiguobacterium indicum AKAL11 produced with fermentation of organic municipal solid wastes

Alkaline proteases having activity and stability at alkaline pH possess a large variety of applications in many industries. Growing renewed interest urges the need to find a single alkaline protease with promising properties to be used in different industrial processes. Herein, alkaline proteases produced through fermentation of cheap and easily available organic municipal solid wastes by Bacillus subtilis AKAL7 and Exiguobacterium indicum AKAL11 were purified to investigate their kinetic and thermodynamic parameters, detergent compatibility, dehairing and feather-degrading capability. Sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed that the purified protease from B. subtilis and E. indicum had molecular mass of ∼45 and 75 kDa, respectively. The protease from B. subtilis and E. indicum showed highest activity at 55 and 50 °C having low K m 1.17 and 0.567 mg/mL and high V max 416.67 and 333.33 µmole/min, respectively. The activation energy and temperature quotient of protease from B. subtilis and E. indicum were 26.52 and 65.75 kJ/mole, and 1.0004 and 1.0003 at 20–55 and 20–50 °C, respectively. Thermodynamics analysis revealed the formation of more ordered enzyme–substrate complexes along with spontenity of enzyme reaction. The protease from E. indicum exhibited better compatibility at higher concentration of detergents compared to that from B. subtilis. However, both proteases could retain more than 80% of the activity in the presence of 0.1% commercial laundry detergents. The purified protease from the both sources could degrade almost 90% of barbs and 40% of dry weight of the native feather and that from E. indicum could dehair cow skin. Results reported herein suggest that the alkaline protease from B. subtilis AKAL7 and E. indicum AKAL11 has biotechnological implications in detergent, leather and poultry feather processing industries.