Rapid Conversion of Chicken Feather to Feather Meal Using Dimeric Keratinase from Bacillus licheniformis ER-15

Abstract

Dimeric keratinase from Bacillus licheniformis ER-15 completely degraded 25g boiled native chicken feather to feather meal within 8h at pH 8, 50°C and 150rpm. Feather degradation was a linear function of enzyme concentration and 2.5g chicken feather was degraded in presence of 1200U keratinase. Process for feather meal production comprised soaking of 25g feather in 250ml water followed by boiling for 10min-20min before enzyme addition. Feather meal thus produced was dried at 80°C and ground to obtain feather meal powder. Feather meal contained 14% nitrogen, 44% carbon with all essential amino acids and showed 73% in-vitro digestibility.