Isolation, identification, and keratinolytic activity of several feather-degrading bacterial isolates

Several feather-degrading bacterial isolates were isolated from Egyptian soil. These isolates were able to degrade chicken feather, when grown on basal medium containing 1% native feather as a source of energy, carbon, and nitrogen. Feather waste, generated in large quantities as a byproduct of commercial poultry processing, is nearly pure keratin, which is not easily degradable by common proteolytic enzymes. The isolates were identified according to the morphological characteristics, biochemical tests, and API 50 CHB Bacillus system. Proteolytic and keratinolytic activities of these isolates were monitored throughout the cultivation of the bacterial isolates on feather. Resulting soluble proteins, which were released as a result of the biodegradation of feather, were demonstrated by SDS-PAGE.