Chicken Feathers Research Articles

Performance Evaluation of Box-Type Solar Cookers Using Different Insulation Materials

Performance Evaluation of Box-Type Solar Cookers Using Different Insulation MaterialsIshaq Muhammad Idriss1, Oluwole Fasiu Ajani1, Amulah Nuhu Caleb1 and Abdusalam Bello1Department of Mechanical Engineering, University of Maiduguri, P.M. B 1069, Maiduguri, Nigeria*Corresponding author’s email address: m.ishaq@unimaid.edu.ngABSRACTThis study investigates the thermal performance of solar box cookers developed using sawdust, chicken feather, and groundnut shell, respectively as insulation materials. Stagnation tests and load tests were carried out to evaluate the cooker performance by determining first figure of merit (F1), cooking power, standardized cooking power and the thermal efficiency of the developed cookers. The F1 values for cookers A (which served as the control), B (sawdust), C (chicken feather) and D (groundnut shell) were found to be 0.099°C m2/W, 0.129 °C m2/W, 0.114°C m2/W and 0.111°C m2/W, respectively. The standardized cooking power at 500C temperature difference for cookers B, C, and D were 42. 25W, 37.26W and 35. 25 W, respectively. Statistical analysis showed that the regression for cookers B and D have a good fit. Cooker C, however, has an R2 value of less than 75%; the variation in the cooking power, therefore, cannot be explained by temperature difference.The overall thermal performance of the cookers B, C, D were reported as 25. 46%, 23.51% and 24.0%, respectively. The study concludes that effective utilization of a material with good thermal insulation property contributes significant roles in improving the cooking performance of the cooker.

Evaluation of biosorbents as an alternative for mercury cyanide removal from aqueous solution

Worldwide, artisanal gold miners currently use and lose over 2000 t/year of mercury, which causes massive social and environmental problems. The combined use of mercury and cyanide by artisanal processing centers have exacerbated the bioavailability of the pollutant. Biosorbents have the capability to adsorb mercuric species in solution, and due their low cost and extensive availability close to mines, they can be used to detoxify effluents. In this study, four biosorbents were evaluated for mercury cyanide removal from simulated gold mining effluents: banana peel, passion fruit peel, eggshells, and chicken feathers. For each treatment, the adsorption capacity, equilibrium isotherms, and kinetic modeling were studied. Only banana peel showed favorable adsorption of Hg(CN)2, with a 94 % removal percentage within 90 min. The pseudo-first order model resulted in the same adsorption capacity as the experimental data (0.47 mg/g). The Sips isotherm model fitted the experimental data, indicating that the adsorption was monolayer-based. Banana peel was found to be more selective for mercury than for gold cyanide. Conversely, the excess of free cyanide had a negative effect on the adsorption efficiency.

Effective biodegradation on chicken feather by the recombinant KerJY-23 Bacillus subtilis WB600: A synergistic process coupled by disulfide reductase and keratinase

Keratin wastes are abundantly available but rich in hard-degrading fibrous proteins, and the keratinase-producing microorganisms have gained significant attention due to their biodegradation ability against keratinous materials. In order to improve the degradation efficiency of feather keratins, the keratinase gene (kerJY-23) from our previously isolated feather-degrading Ectobacillus sp. JY-23 was overexpressed in Bacillus subtilis WB600 strain. The recombinant KerJY-23 strain degraded chicken feathers rapidly within 48 h, during which the activities of disulfide reductase and keratinase KerJY-23 were sharply increased, and the free amino acids especially the essential phenylalanine and tyrosine were significantly accumulated in feather hydrolysate. The results of structural characterizations including scanning electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrum, X-ray diffraction, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, demonstrated that the feather microstructure together with the polypeptide bonds and SS bonds in feather keratins were attacked and destroyed by the recombinant KerJY-23 strain. Therefore, the recombinant KerJY-23 strain contributed to feather degradation through the synergistic action of the secreted disulfide reductase to break the SS bonds and keratinase (KerJY-23) to hydrolyze the polypeptide bonds in keratins. This study offers a new insight into the underlying mechanism of keratin degradation, and provides a potential recombinant strain for the valorization of keratin wastes.

Application of Chicken Feather in Textiles

Chicken feathers are a valuable source of biomaterials that can be used in a variety of industries. In recent years, chicken feathers have found their way into everything. It is important to note that the exact chemical composition of the chicken feather can vary depending on factors such as the age and health of the bird, diet, genetics, and environmental conditions. Chicken feather fractions have potential applications as textile fibres for yarns, fabrics, and composites. This paper summarizes the chemical composition and biodegradability of chicken feather fibres and discusses their potential applications.

Chicken feather waste degradation by Malbranchea cinnamomea and its application on plant growth and metabolites of Vicia faba plant

Keratinase are proteolytic enzymes that have received a lot of interest for their ability to transform the keratinous wastes that are a major source of environmental pollution. The most effective isolate that produced more keratinase was Malbranchea cinnamomea CBS 343.55. The enzyme activity was higher at 37 °C, pH 5.6; the incubation period was 7 days; and 1.0 ml was found to be the best inoculum size for keratinase production. Under solid substrate cultivation, the best substrate loadage for maximal keratinase production was 3.0 g/500 ml conical flask for M. cinnamomea CBS 343.55. The purified keratinase was stable between pH 3 and 8 and stable at temperatures ranging from 40 to 90 °C, with optimal activity at 45 °C and pH 8. The relative activity of keratinase was raised in the presence of the ions Na+, Mg2+, Mn2+, Ca2+, Co2+, Fe2+, Fe3+, and mercaptoethanol, but decreased in the presence of Hg2+, Zn2+, Cu2+, Ag2+, pb2+, ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, and phenylmethylsulfonyfluoride. Chicken feather hydrolysate of M. cinnamomea produced total amino acids (329.0 mg/100 mL). In soil treated with feather compost and a fungus strain, there was a rise in the level of N, P, and K. However, the feather compost had a favorable impact on the growth, relative water content, photosynthetic pigments, antioxidant activity, total phenol and proline content of Vicia faba plant. In conclusion, the present study revealed that M. cinnamomea CBS 343.55O has potential applications in the biodegradation of chicken feathers and the value-addition of poultry waste as a biofertilizer.

Assessment and Characterization of Duck Feathers as Potential Source of Biopolymers from an Upcycling Perspective

A comprehensive characterization of the physical and chemical properties of whole duck feathers from French mulard species, including their various categories and fractions (barbs, rachis, and calamus), was conducted to explore potential ways for utilizing this waste product. This analysis aimed to identify opportunities for valorizing these feathers and unlocking their untapped potential. Hence, the duck feathers were thoroughly characterized by a proximate analysis to determine their composition and theoretical heating value. Additionally, feathers underwent other analyses as Sodium Dodecyl Sulfate Polyacrylamide Gel Electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) analysis, solvent behavior and chemical durability assessment, hydrophobicity testing, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, Thermogravimetric Analysis (TGA), Differential Scanning Calorimetry (DSC), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM). The analyses revealed duck feather composition, molecular weight, stability in different environments, hydrophobicity, functional groups present, thermal behavior, crystallinity, and structural arrangement. Upon analysis, it was determined that duck feathers contain pure fiber keratin and possess characteristics that make them suitable for the production of high-value keratin-based products, including cosmetics, activated carbon for purification, materials for waterproofing, lightweight construction, and textile innovations, underscoring their potential to support sustainable and eco-friendly initiatives across various sectors.

Renewable Energy from Livestock Waste Valorization: Amyloid-Based Feather Keratin Fuel Cells.

Increasing carbon emissions have accelerated climate change, resulting in devastating effects that are now tangible on an everyday basis. This is mirrored by a projected increase in global energy demand of approximately 50% within a single generation, urging a shift from fossil-fuel-derived materials toward greener materials and more sustainable manufacturing processes. Biobased industrial byproducts, such as side streams from the food industry, are attractive alternatives with strong potential for valorization due to their large volume, low cost, renewability, biodegradability, and intrinsic material properties. Here, we demonstrate the reutilization of industrial chicken feather waste into proton-conductive membranes for fuel cells, protonic transistors, and water-splitting devices. Keratin was isolated from chicken feathers via a fast and economical process, converted into amyloid fibrils through heat treatment, and further processed into membranes with an imparted proton conductivity of 6.3 mS cm-1 using a simple oxidative method. The functionality of the membranes is demonstrated by assembling them into a hydrogen fuel cell capable of generating 25 mW cm-2 of power density to operate various types of devices using hydrogen and air as fuel. Additionally, these membranes were used to generate hydrogen through water splitting and in protonic field-effect transistors as thin-film modulators of protonic conductivity via the electrostatic gating effect. We believe that by converting industrial waste into renewable energy materials at low cost and high scalability, our green manufacturing process can contribute to a fully circular economy with a neutral carbon footprint.

Bioconversion of feather waste into bioactive nutrients in water by Bacillus licheniformis WHU.

Feathers become hazardous pollutants when deposited directly into the environment. The rapid expansion of the poultry industry has significantly increased feather waste, necessitating the development of new ways to degrade and utilize feathers. This study investigated the ability of Bacillus licheniformis WHU to digest intact chicken feathers in water. The results indicated that yields of free amino acids, bioactive peptides, and keratin-derived nano-/micro-particles were improved in bacteria- versus purified keratinase-derived feather hydrolysate. Bacteria-derived feather hydrolysate supplementation induced health benefits in mice, including significantly increased intestinal villus height and zonula occludens-1 protein expression, as well as increased secretory immunoglobulin A levels in the intestinal mucosa and superoxide dismutase activity in serum. Additionally, feather hydrolysate supplementation modulated the mouse gut microbiota, reflected by increased relative abundance of probiotics such as Lactobacillus spp., decreased relative abundance of Proteobacteria at the phylum level and pathogens such as Staphylococcus spp., and increased Bacteroidota/Firmicutes ratio. This study developed a simple, cost-effective method to degrade feathers by B. licheniformis WHU digestion, yielding a hydrolysate that can be directly used as a bioactive nutrient resource. The study findings have applications in the livestock, poultry, and aquaculture industries, which have high demands for cheap protein. KEY POINTS: • Bacillus licheniformis could degrade intact feather in water. • The resulting feather hydrolysate shows prebiotic effects on mouse.

Nutrient analysis of fermented chicken feather fertilizer waste using Bacillus subtilis on the growth of green spinach (Amaranthus tricolor)

Introduction: Farmers generally provide NPK chemical fertilizers (Nitrogen, Phosphorus, Potassium) to provide nutrients for green spinach plants. However, the use of NPK chemical fertilizers harms the environment. Nowadays, chicken feathers are known as beneficial for fertilizing plants, similar to NPK chemical fertilizers. Fermentation of chicken feathers by Bacillus sp. can improve the quality of protein in chicken feather fertilizers which can be used as a supplement in renewing soil conditions. Thus, this study is aimed to evaluate the nutrient component of fermented chicken feather fertilizer waste using Bacillus subtilis on the growth of green spinach (Amaranthus tricolor) Methods: This was a cross-sectional study. In this study, we used a total sampling technique. In this study, three groups got different chicken father fertilizers, and two groups of standard and did not get the chicken father fertilizer. Data from the research will be statistically analyzed descriptively. The descriptive data will provide in the table. Results: In the first treatment group, the value of nitrogen (N) was 2.439, phosphorus (P) was 2.225%, and potassium (K) was 2.408%. In the second treatment group, the nitrogen (N) value obtained 2.866%, the phosphorus (P) value was 2.174%, and the potassium (K) value was 2.477%. In the third treatment group, the nitrogen (N) value was 3.291%, the phosphorus value was 3.082 %, and the Potassium (K) value was 3.135%. Conclusion: According to the results, the higher the chicken feather fermented fertilizer dose, the higher the NPK content. This is certainly good for the growth of spinach.

Thermostable keratinase from Bacillus cereus L10: optimization and some potential biotechnological applications

AbstractThe accumulation of feather waste is a critical problem in solid waste management; therefore, microbial management of waste is highly significant. Consequently, the keratinolytic capacity of some bacteria isolated from the keratinous waste area was evaluated. The most promising isolate coded as L10 showed the highest feather degradation efficiency 72.7% was identified as Bacillus cereus L10 using 16S rRNA gene sequencing. The effect and contribution of independent process variables were studied by Plackett–Burman design. The optimal values of the independent variables obtained from the Plackett–Burman design were chicken feather, 1%; K2HPO4, 0.3%; KH2PO4, 0.05%; MgSO4 7H2O, 0.01%; yeast extract, 0.05%; inoculum size 4% with pH 7 and incubation period 5 days at 35 °C. The optimal parameters were validated resulting in the enhancement of keratinase production (9.602 U/ml), protein concentration (521.17 µg/ml), and feather degradation (94%) along with a 4.56-fold increased of keratinase production. The enzyme is relatively thermostable, completely stable between 30 and 80 °C for 1 h and retained 97.66% of its activity at 100 °C. B. cereus L10 was able to degrade different types of keratins. Interestingly, the feather hydrolysate from optimized keratinase production medium showed plant growth promoting activity by producing indole-3-acetic acid (IAA). The feathers hydrolysate produced a great benefit by its use as a soil biofertilizer through enhancing the germination of Triticum aestivum. The important implication of keratinase in laundry detergent and leather industry was examined. Results revealed that the enzyme achieved great efficiency in removing protein and blood-rich stains within 30 min at 36 °C in addition to its thoroughly dehairing of cow-hide after 40 h incubation without any damage. The dehaired pelt exhibited a smooth, velvety, and white color surface, good flexibility. Therefore, our study presents an effective method to turn waste into wealth. Graphical Abstract

Effect of fibre ratio and chemical treatment on thermo-mechanical and water absorption properties of bagasse and chicken feather reinforced hybrid polypropylene composites

ABSTRACT Employing plant and animal-based biodegradable resources as reinforcement in polymeric composites has undeniable advantages on synthetic fibres, including low cost, renewability, biodegradability, low energy consumption, and easy and safe handling. Bagasse is agricultural waste, while chicken feathers can also be collected from poultry industry waste – both hold the potential to be used as fibre reinforcement in polymer matrix composite. The incorporation of both hybrid fibres together might have a synergistic effect on several properties. In the present research, composites at 5% fibre weight were prepared using a hot-press machine, altering the contribution of individual fibre, keeping bagasse and chicken feather at the ratio of 1:1, 3:1 and 1:3. Subsequently, tensile, flexural, impact, hardness and water absorption tests and thermo-gravimetric analysis were executed. Composite materials with a greater portion of chicken feathers (bagasse:chicken = 1:3) demonstrated superior mechanical properties, as well as better water absorption, thermal stability as compared to composite materials with a more significant proportion of bagasse fibre. To ensure excellent adhesion between polymer matrix and fibre, a significant factor for excellent reinforcement, chemical treatment with 5% NaOH was conducted on both fibres. Five per cent NaOH-treated hybrid fibre-reinforced composite outperformed untreated composite in impact strength, hardness, and water absorption.

Determining Polycyclic Aromatic Compounds in Bird Feathers Using Pressurized Fluid Extraction

Due to their ease of collecting and transporting from the field and their ability to accumulate pollutants, bird feathers are increasingly being used as a non-invasive biomonitoring tool for environmental monitoring programs. Polycyclic aromatic compounds (PACs) are a diverse class of environmental pollutants, and because of their deleterious impacts on biological species, monitoring these compounds in wildlife is of high importance. Current approaches to measuring PACs in bird feathers involve a time-consuming acid treatment with a concomitant solvent extraction step. Here, a validated method for measuring a suite of PACs in bird feathers using pressurized fluid extraction and identification and quantitation by gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry is presented. Chicken (Gallus domesticus) feathers were purposely fortified with a suite of 34 PACs separately at three fortification levels and placed inside a pressurized fluid extraction cell containing silica gel/deactivated alumina to provide in situ clean-up of the sample. Except for anthracene and naphthalene, the accuracy of our method ranged for PAHs from 70–120% (irrespective of fortification level), and our intra- and inter-day repeatability was smaller than 28%. For APAHs, our accuracies ranged from 38–158%, and the inter- and intra-day repeatability was less than 35%. Our limits of detection and quantitation for both groups of compounds ranged from 0.5–13 and 1.5–44.3 ng/g, respectively. Overall, the developed method represents an effective and efficient approach for the extraction and quantitation of PACs from bird feathers that negated the need for the time-consuming and potentially harmful acid treatment.

Chicken Feather Protein Dispersant for Effective Crude Oil Dispersion in the Marine Environment.

Various studies report that aside from the adverse impact of the crude oil on the marine environment, there is the likelihood that chemical dispersants used on the surface of water as oil-treating agents themselves possess a degree of toxicity, which have additional effects on the environment. To eliminate the subject of toxicity, there exist several materials in nature that have the ability to form good emulsions, and such products include protein molecules. In this study, chicken feathers which are known to contain ≥90% protein were used to formulate a novel dispersant to disperse crude oil in seawater (35 ppt). Protein from chicken feathers was extracted and synthesized into the chicken feather protein (CFP) dispersant using deionized water as a solvent. Emulsions formed from CFP-synthesized dispersants were stable over a considerably long period of time, whereas the droplet sizes of the emulsion formed were on the average very small in diameter, making droplet coalescence very slow. The CFP dispersants exhibited moderate surface and interfacial activity at normal seawater salinity. Using the US EPA's baffled flask test, at 800 and 1000 mg/ml CFP surfactant-to-oil ratios, dispersion effectiveness values of 56.92 and 68.64 vol % were obtained, respectively, which show that CFP has a great potential in crude oil dispersion. Moreover, the acute toxicity test performed on Nile tilapia showed that CFP was practically nontoxic with an LC50 value of more than 100 mg/L after 96 h of exposure. The results obtained showed that the CFP dispersant is environmentally friendly.

Biodegradation and valorization of feather waste using the keratinase-producing bacteria and their application in environmentally hazardous industrial processes

Poultry feathers are widely discarded as waste worldwide and are considered an environmental pollutant and a reservoir of pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, developing sustainable and environmentally friendly methods for managing feather waste is one of the important environmental protection requirements. In this study, we investigated a rapid and eco–friendly method for the degradation and valorization of feather waste using keratinase–producing Pseudomonas geniculata H10, and evaluated the applicability of keratinase in environmentally hazardous chemical processes. Strain H10 completely degraded chicken feathers within 48 h by producing keratinase using them as sources of carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur. The culture contained a total of 402.8 μM amino acids, including 8 essential amino acids, which was higher than the chemical treatment. Keratinase was a serine-type metalloprotease with optimal temperature and pH of 30 °C and 9, respectively, and showed relatively high stability at 10–40 °C and pH 3–10. Keratinase was also able to degrade various insoluble keratins such as duck feathers, wool, human hair, and nails. Furthermore, keratinase exhibited more efficient depilation and wool modification than chemical treatment, as well as novel functionalities such as nematicidal and exfoliating activities. This suggests that strain H10 is a promising candidate for the efficient degradation and valorization of feather waste, as well as the improvement of current industrial processes that use hazardous chemicals.

Enhanced Biodegradability in Soil of Chicken Feather by Steam Explosion for Potential Application in Agricultural Biodegradable Plastics.

Feather waste is a major issue from an economic and environmental point of view. Even though there are already routes for the valorisation of feathers into fertilisers and feather meal, these are considered to have low added value. For more attractive applications, for example in agricultural biodegradable plastics, higher and faster degradability in soil is required. To face this challenge alternative approaches to accelerate biodegradation and disintegration processes are needed. In this context, steam explosion appears as an effective technology to modify the structure of feather and improve its soil degradability. In this work, chicken feathers were treated by steam explosion and the effect of treatment on their structure and physico-chemical and thermal properties were evaluated. Finally, the effect of the process conditions on the disintegration and biodegradation in soil of feathers was also investigated, finding an increased degradation in soil of steam explosion treated feathers. These results open up the possibilities of using feather waste as a component for environmentally friendly agricultural bioplastics that can be degraded in-situ in soil.

Sustainable Valorization of Chicken Feathers and Grocery Waste as Organic Fertilizer and its Impact on Yield and Quality of Spinach (Spinacia oleracea) Plant

ABSTRACT Overproduction of chicken feathers is responsible for serious environmental problems worldwide. The composition of feathers is keratin protein, which is resistant and difficult to monomerize. Utilization of feather waste for biogas and organic fertilizer production can help combat environmental threat and address energy and food shortage crisis. In this study, chicken feathers were hydrolyzed using the native isolated keratinolytic bacterial strain Pseudomonas aeruginosa-C1M. Reactor digestate, a by-product of the production of biogas from hydrolyzate and grocery waste, has been shown to be used as organic fertilizer. A greenhouse study was conducted to investigate the comparative effectiveness of reactor digestate and feather hydrolyzate on the growth of spinach plants. A remarkable increase in agronomic parameters was observed when applying keratin hydrolyzate based fertilizers. Plants treated with dry hydrolyzate showed a 50% increase in leaf width. The plant height, the number of leaves per plant, the root length, the chlorophyll content, the protein content, the biomass and the nutrient content of the spinach plant were also significantly improved by using fertilizers based on keratin hydrolyzate. However, the results using the Pseudomonas aeruginosa-C1M-derived hydrolyzate were more promising and therefore suggest its application as a potential biostimulant in the agricultural industry.

Characterizing hydrolysate from duck feather degradation by Pseudomonas sp. PK4, Bacillus cereus TD5B, and Bacillus cereus LS2B

Duck feathers are mainly composed of keratin, which is difficult to degrade. We want to know the ability of indigenous strains to produce keratinase and the ability to degrade duck feather’s keratin and observe the hydrolysate’s amino acid profile. All the strains were confirmed to produce keratinase from the formation of clear zones on an agar medium., Bacillus cereus LS2B, Bacillus cereus TD5B, and Pseudomonas sp. PK4 had the maximum enzyme activity on the casein substrate with 10.52 U/mL, 6.24 U/mL, and 16.42 U/mL, respectively. In addition, Strains LS2B, TD5B, and PK4 have activity of 5.23 U/mL, 7.01 U/mL, and 11.3 U/mL, respectively, while growing on the keratin substrate. Pseudomonas sp. PK4, Bacillus cereus LS2B, and Bacillus cereus TD5B degraded 38%, 38%, and 19% of the substrate, respectively. We found 12 amino acids during HPLC analysis. This study concludes that strains Strain PK4, LS2B, and TD5B can produce keratinase and can degrade the keratin of the duck feather substrate into amino acids.

Crop effect and mechanism of amino acid-modified biomass ash in remediation of cadmium-contaminated soil.

Lignocellulosic biomass ash (BA) has certain adsorption and passivation effects on heavy metals, but its function is generally weak. Amino acid salt can facilitate the leaching of heavy metals in soil. Therefore, modification of BA with amino acid salt may realize a higher leaching rate and better passivation of heavy metals in soil. In this study, BA was modified by amino acid hydrolysate obtained from the hydrolysis of chicken feathers by sulfuric acid. The physicochemical properties of BA and modified BA (MBA), their effects on Chinese cabbage (CC) yield and nutritional quality, and passivation effects on soil cadmium (Cd) were compared, and the related mechanisms were investigated. SEM-EDS, XRD, and FTIR demonstrated that BA was a CaCO3-type soil amendment, while MBA was a CaSO4-type soil amendment with the loading of amino acid. Compared with BA, MBA significantly increased the fresh weight, soluble sugar, vitamin C (Vc), and protein contents of CC in both non-Cd contaminated soil and Cd contaminated soil, and obviously decreased the nitrate content and Cd uptake of CC in Cd-contaminated soil. After the application of MBA, cadmium species in potted soil were transformed from higher plant availability, representing by exchangeable and carbonate-bound, into lower plant availability, representing by iron-manganese oxide bound, which was identified as the key reason for the significant reduction of Cd content in CC under MBA application.

Response surface methodology based optimization of keratinase from Bacillus velezensis strain ZBE1 and nanoparticle synthesis, biological and molecular characterization

The increasing demands of keratinases for biodegradation of recalcitrant keratinaceous waste like chicken feathers has lead to research on newer potential bacterial keratinases to produce high-value products with biological activities. The present study reports a novel keratinolytic bacterium Bacillus velezensis strain ZBE1 isolated from deep forest soil of Western Ghats of Karnataka, which possessed efficient feather keratin degradation capability and induced keratinase production. Production kinetics depicts maximum keratinase production (11.65 U/mL) on 4th day with protein concentration of 0.61 mg/mL. Effect of various physico-chemical factors such as, inoculum size, metal ions, carbon and nitrogen sources, pH and temperature influencing keratinase production were optimized and 3.74 folds enhancement was evidenced through response surface methodology. Silver (AgNP) and zinc oxide (ZnONP) nanoparticles with keratin hydrolysate produced from chicken feathers by the action of keratinase were synthesized and verified with UV–Visible spectroscopy that revealed biological activities like, antibacterial action against Bacillus cereus and Escherichia coli. AgNP and ZnONP also showed potential antioxidant activities through radical scavenging activities by ABTS and DPPH. AgNP and ZnONP revealed cytotoxic effect against MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines with IC50 of 5.47 µg/ml and 62.26 µg/ml respectively. Characterizations of nanoparticles were carried out by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy with energy dispersive X-ray, X-ray diffraction, thermogravimetric analysis and atomic force microscopy analysis to elucidate the thermostability, structure and surface attributes. The study suggests the prospective applications of keratinase to trigger the production of bioactive value-added products and significant application in nanotechnology in biomedicine.

Multiscale Conceptual Design of a Scalable and Sustainable Process to Dissolve and Regenerate Keratin from Chicken Feathers.

A multiscale strategy was used to conceptually design and economically analyze a scalable and sustainable process for dissolving and regenerating keratin from chicken feathers by using a sodium acetate-urea deep eutectic solvent as the reacting media. In this study, the recovery and recycling of the solvent were also considered. Moreover, molecular modeling of the solvent, keratin and its derivatives, property estimation of the corresponding mixtures, and simulation of the different process alternatives proposed, including the equipment sizing, estimation of energy needs, and economic analysis were presented. A quasi-planar cluster governed by H-bond interactions resulted in the most stable configuration of the deep eutectic solvent. Molecular models having molecular weights higher than 1.400 g/mol were created to represent the keratin species, where the most abundant amino acids in the feathers were included and conveniently ordered in the chain. Property estimations performed with the conductor-like screening model-real solvent succeeded in describing the main features of the interactions between the keratin derivatives and the solvents used. The process analysis performed on several alternatives showed that the process is technically and economically viable at the industrial scale, the costs being strongly dependent on the excess of both the solvent used to dissolve keratin and the water added for its regeneration. Several options to improve the process and reduce the costs are discussed.