Screening of Fungi for Efficient Feather Degradation and Keratinase Production

Chicken feather waste generated by poultry industries represents a significant environmental challenge because of its highkeratin 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 valueadded bioproducts through keratin biodegradation.