• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.21 no.3
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• pp.369-375
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• 2012

We investigated usefulness of chicken feather as bioadsorbent for removal of hexavalent chromium[Cr(VI)] and oil from aqueous solution. Chicken feather was chemically treated with DTPA, EDTA, NaOH and SDS, respectively. Among them, EDTA was the most effective in adsorbing Cr(VI). Cr(VI) uptake by chicken feather was increased with decreasing pH; the highest Cr(VI) uptake was observed at pH 2.0. By increasing Cr(VI) concentration, Cr(VI) uptake was increased, and maximum Cr(VI) uptake was 0.34 mmol/g. Cr(VI) adsorption by chicken feather was well described by Freundlich isotherm than Langmuir isotherm and Freundlich constant(1/n) was 0.476. As the concentration of chicken feather was increased, Cr (VI) removal efficiency was increased but Cr(VI) uptake was decreased. Most of Cr(VI) was adsorbed at early reaction stage(1 h) and adsorption equilibrium was established at 5 h. On the other hand, chicken feather adsorbed effectively oils including bunker-A and bunker-C. In conclusion, our results suggest that chicken feather waste could be used to remove heavy metal and oil; it is a potential candidate for biosorption material.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.435-439
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• 2013

As byproducts of chicken slaughtering, chicken feathers are produced and mostly discarded without proper treatment, which results in serious environment pollution. Therefore, the appropriate treatment and utilization of chicken feathers are needed. In particular, chicken feathers can be used as protein sources for the preparation of protein hydrolysates, considering that chicken feathers have a large amount of proteins. In this study, chicken feather protein hydrolysates were prepared and their iron-binding peptides were isolated. Chicken feather protein was extracted from feathers of slaughtered chicken, and its hydrolysates were prepared via hydrolysis with Flavourzyme for 8 h. Then the chicken feather protein hydrolysates were ultra-filtered to obtain small peptide fractions and fractionated using Q-Sepharose and Sephadex G-15 columns to isolate their iron-binding peptides. Two major fractions were produced from each of the Q-Sepharose ion exchange chromatography and the Sephadex G-15 gel filtration chromatography. Among the fractions, the peptide fraction with a high iron-binding activity level, F12, was isolated. These results suggest that chicken feather protein hydrolysates can be used as iron supplements.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.34 no.1
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• pp.7-14
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• 2006

Feather, generated in large quantities as a byproduct of commercial poultry processing, is almost pure keratin, which is not easily degradable by common professes. Four strains, SMMJ-2, FL-3, NO-4 and RM-12 were isolated from soil for production of extracellular keratinolytic protease. They were identified as Bacillus sp. based on their morphological and physiological characteristics. They shown high protease activity on 5.0% skim milk agar medium and produced a substrate like mucoid on keratin agar medium. Bacillus sp. SMMJ-2 had a faster production time for producing keratinolytic protease than other strains. This strain did not completely degrade whole chicken feather for five days in basal medium but completely degraded whole chicken feather when supplied with nitrogen source for 40hours in keratinolytic producing medium ($0.7%\;K_{2}HPO_{4},\;0.2%\;KH_{2}PO_{4},\;0.1%$ fructose, 1.2% whole chicken feather, $0.01%\;Na_{2}CO_3$, pH 7.0). When supplied with chicken feather as nitrogen source, keratinolytic protease activity was 89 units/ml/min. When soybean meal was used as nitrogen source, the keratinolytic protease production reached a maximum of 106 units/ml/min after 48 hours under $30^{\circ}C$, 180 agitation. To isolate the keratinolytic protease, the culture filtrate was precipitated with $(NH_4)_{2}SO_4$ and acetone. The recovery rate of keratinolytic protease was about 96% after treatment with 50% acetone. The enzyme was stable in the range of $30{\sim}50^{\circ}C$ and pH $6.0{\sim}12.0$.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.9
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• pp.1103-1109
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• 2007

The aim of this study was to isolate mesophilic chicken feather-degrading bacteria and to evaluate feather hydrolysate as alternative biofertilizer. Isolate RS7 was isolated from compost and identified as Bacillus pumilus according to API analysis and l6S rDNA sequencing analysis. Chicken feathers were completely degraded after 5 days of cultivation at $30^{\circ}C$. Feather hydrolysate treated by B. pumilius RS7 positively influenced Helianthus sannuus L. (sunflower) growth (e.g. growth rate, number and dry weight of leave, and flowering rate). These results suggest that feather hydrolysate prepared using B. pumilius RS7 could successfully be used as alternative biofertilizer, thereby reducing the environmental impact of feather waste from the poultry industry.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.19 no.9
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• pp.1077-1082
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• 2010

This study was performed to investigate the nutritional conditions controlling keratinase activity in Bacillus megaterium F7-1. B. megaterium F7-1 produced keratinase using chicken feather as a sole source of carbon, nitrogen and sulfur. Addition of the feather medium with glucose enhanced keratinase production (68.9 U/ml), compared to control without glucose (63.2 U/ml). The synthesis of keratinase was repressed by addition of $NH_4Cl$ in B. megaterium F7-1. The highest keratinase production (70.9 U/ml) was obtained with the feather medium containing glucose and $MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$. Keratinase was produced in the absence of feather (4.9 U/ml), indicating its constitutive synthesis. Feather degradation resulted in free SH group formation. B. megaterium F7-1 effectively degraded chicken feather meal (86%), whereas duck feather, human nail, human hair and sheep wool displayed relatively low degradation rates (8-34%).

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1307-1314
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• 2010

This study was conducted to isolate and characterize a novel feather-degrading bacterium producing keratinase activity. A strain K9 was isolated from soil at poultry farm and identified as Xanthomonas sp. K9 by phenotypic characters and 16S rRNA gene analysis. The cultural conditions for the keratinase production were 0.3% fructose, 0.1% gelatin, 0.04% $K_2HPO_4$, 0.06% $KH_2PO_4$, 0.05% NaCl and 0.01% $FeSO_4$ with an initial pH 8.0 at $30^{\circ}C$ and 200 rpm. In an optimized medium containing 0.1% chicken feather, production yield of keratinase was approximately 8-fold higher than the yield in basal medium. The strain K9 effectively degraded chicken feather meal (67%) and duck feather (54%), whereas human nail and human hair showed relatively low degradation rates (13-22%). Total free amino acid concentration in the cell-free supernatant was about 25.799 mg/l. Feather hydrolysate produced by the strain K9 stimulated growth of red pepper, indicating Xanthomonas sp. K9 could be not only used to increase the nutritional value of chicken feather but also a potential candidate for the development of natural fertilizer applicable to crop plant soil.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.46 no.1
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• pp.86-92
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• 2010

Thirty-one chicken feather-degrading bacteria were isolated from wasted feather, compost and wastewater in a chicken farm. These isolates were categorized as Firmicutes (21 strains), ${\gamma}$-proteobacteria (4 strains), Actinobacteria (4 strains), and Bacteroidetes (2 strains) by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis. We examined the feather-degrading isolates for degradation in the 2% of chicken feather meal. The strain Chryseobacterium sp. FBF-7, Stenotrophomonas maltophilia FBS-4, and Lysinibacillus sp. FBW-3 were selected as a keratinolytic protein degrading bacteria which showed the highest feather degradation of 75-90%. The characteristics of amino acids extracted from chicken feather meal by using keratinolytic protein degrading isolates and chemical method with $Ca(OH)_2$ were analyzed. Total amino acid content of strain Chryseobacterium sp. FBF-7 was 1,661.6 ${\mu}mol$/ml, which was the highest and it was similar with chemical method. And essential amino acid content of total amino acid was thirty-seven percent (619.3 ${\mu}mol$/ml) and 596.9 ${\mu}mol$/ml for keratinolytic protein degrading isolates and chemical method, respectively. The major amino acids were valine, glutamic acid, aspartic acid, glycine, and proline by the strain Chryseobacterium sp. FBF-7 and especially, higher contents of aspartic acid, threonine, serine, cysteine, and tyrosine were detected compared with chemical method.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.16 no.12
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• pp.1337-1343
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• 2007

The aim of this study was to isolate chicken feather-degrading bacteria with high keratinolytic activity and to investigate cultural conditions affecting keratinolytic enzyme production by a selected isolate. A chicken feather-degrading bacterial strain CH3 was isolated from poultry wastes. Isolate CH3 degraded whole chicken feather completely within 3 days. On the basis of phenotypical and 16S rDNA studies, isolate CH3 was identified as Bacillus thuringiensis CH3. This strain is the first B. thuringiensis described as a feather degrader. The bacterium grew with an optimum at pH 8.0 and $37^{\circ}C$, where maximum keratinolytic activity was also observed. The composition of optimal medium for keratinolytic enzyme production was feather 0.1%, sucrose 0.7%, casein 0.3%, $K_2HPO_4$ 0.03%, $KH_2PO_4$ 0.04%, $MgCl_2$ 0.01% and NaCl 0.05%, respectively. The keratinolytic enzyme had a pH and temperature optima 9.0 and $45^{\circ}C$, respectively. The keratinolytic activity was inhibited ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid, phenylmethylsulfonyl fluoride, and metal ions like $Hg^{2+},\;Cu^{2+}\;and\;Zn^{2+}$. The enzyme activated by $Fe^{2+}$, dithiothreitol and 2-mercaptoethanol.

• Journal of Environmental Science International
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• v.27 no.9
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• pp.743-751
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to investigate the adsorption potential of chicken feathers for the removal of OrangeII (AO7) from aqueous solutions. Batch experiments were performed as a function of different experimental parameters such as initial pH, reaction time, feather dose, initial OrangeII concentration and temperature. The highest OrangeII uptake was observed at pH 1.0. Most of the OrangeII was adsorbed at 2 h and an adsorption equilibrium was reached at 6 h. As the amount of chicken feather was increased, the removal efficiency of OrangeII increased up to 99%, but its uptake decreased. By increasing the initial concentration and temperature, OrangeII uptake was increased. The experimental adsorption isotherm exhibited a better fit with the Langmuir isotherm than with the Freundlich isotherm, and maximum adsorption capacity from the Langmuir constant was determined to be 0.179244 mmol/g at $30^{\circ}C$. The adsorption energy obtained from the Dubinin-Radushkevich model was 7.9 kJ/mol at $20^{\circ}C$ and $30^{\circ}C$ which indicates the predominance of physical adsorption. Thermodynamic parameters such as ${\Delta}G^0$, ${\Delta}H^0$, and ${\Delta}S^0$ were -12.28 kJ/mol, 20.64 kJ/mol and 112.32 J/mol K at $30^{\circ}C$, respectively. This indicates that the process of OrangeII adsorption by chicken feathers was spontaneous and endothermic. Our results suggest that as a low-cost biomaterials, chicken feather is an attractive candidate for OrangeII removal from aqueous solutions.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.472-476
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• 2005

The present study was untaken to assess the capacity of Bacillus pumilis KHS-1 to grow on chicken flour and to prepare feather digest as fertilizer. To increase keratinolytic activity, the addition of cysteine (5.0 mM) showed the highest keratinolytic activity (245 unit) among the reducing agents tested. The production of soluble protein (feather digests) paralleled the tendency to the production of keratinolytic protease. In the growth curve of B. pumilis KHS-1 at $30^{\circ}C$ in the feather medium with 5 mM cysteine, the maximum keratinolytic activity of B. pumilis was about 161 units/ml after 84 h of incubation. The maximum enzyme activities were observed at the late logarithmic growth phase, and remained thereafter with little changes. Using 27-day plant growth assays on carrot and Chinese cabbage, feather digests and reference fertilizer were compared. In terms of the length and the weight of the above-ground vegetations, feather digests showed the same effect as that of the fertilizer. Therefore, our investigation shows that the feather digests can be used in agriculture.