Biotechnological Valorization of Chicken Feather Waste: Extraction and Microbial Degradation of Keratin

The poultry industry produces large amounts of chicken feather waste each year. This waste creates serious environmental and disposal issues due to its tough nature. Chicken feathers mainly consist of keratin, a strong and insoluble protein known for its extensive disulfide bonds, which makes it difficult to break down naturally. This study sought to extract keratin from chicken feathers using chemical treatment and to test microbial degradation as a sustainable waste management method. Cleaned and sterilized feathers underwent alkaline hydrolysis with sodium hydroxide (NaOH) to dissolve keratin. Then, acetic acid was used for acid precipitation to obtain keratin protein. Qualitative protein analysis confirmed the existence of peptide bonds in the extracted keratin, thus ensuring the successful extraction of protein from poultry feather waste. Isolates of keratinase-producing bacteria were then obtained and screened for their ability to degrade feathers. Among the isolates screened, one strain showed high keratinase activity, thus indicating significant feather degradation capability under laboratory settings. The findings indicate that a green and efficient method of converting poultry feather waste into useful products is to combine chemical extraction with microbial degradation. Cosmetics, biomedical materials, and other industries can use recovered keratin. The results show that by combining chemical extraction with microbial degradation, poultry feather waste can be effectively and sustainably transformed into useful products. The recovered keratin could be used in biomedical materials, cosmetic formulations, and other industrial fields. This work demonstrates that it is possible to valorise poultry waste through biotechnological interventions, which supports sustainable waste management and resource recovery.