Screening of Fungi for Efficient Feather Degradation and Keratinase Production

Chioma U. Uduma, Daniel A. Nwaubani, Emmanuel G. Idu

Abstract: Chicken feather waste generated by poultry industries represents a significant environmental challenge because of its high keratin content and resistance to natural degradation. This study investigated keratinophilic fungi isolated from poultry waste soils for their feather degradation and keratinase-producing abilities. Fungal isolates were obtained using hair-baiting and serial dilution techniques and identified by morphological characteristics. Keratinase production was screened on casein agar, after which selected isolates were evaluated under different incubation periods, temperatures, and pH conditions. Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus flavus demonstrated the highest keratinase activities and effectively degraded chicken feathers under optimized conditions. The findings indicate that these fungi possess considerable potential for environmentally friendly poultry feather waste management and production of value-added bioproducts through keratin biodegradation.

Keywords: Keratinase, Keratinophilic fungi, Feather biodegradation, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Poultry waste, Bioconversion, Environmental biotechnology