UTILIZATION OF BIODEGRADABLE KERATIN CONTAINING WASTES BY ENZYMATIC TREATMENT

Abstract

Two novel feather-degrading fungi belonging to Chrysosporium and Microsporum genus were isolated from poultry waste in Goa, India. The fungi produced extra cellular keratinolytic enzyme in a feather meal broth using chicken feather as a sole of carbon and nitrogen source. Maximum enzyme activity was obtained within 96 h (150 U/ml and 90 U/ml for Chrysosporium and Microsporum respectively) of cultivation at pH 7.0, 30^oC. The optimal conditions for the keratinolytic activity of both enzymes  were found to be pH 9.0 and temperature 50°; however the enzymes showed stability over a broad range of pH between 7.0 -10 and temperature 30°C - 70°C. In addition, both the strains were able to completely degrade feather within a period of 96 h.