| The aim of this study was to characterize keratinolytic bacteria isolated from feather waste. Four isolates were selected after growth on solid medium with feather meal as sole carbon and nitrogen source and screened for proteolytic activity on milk agar plates. Three isolates were Gram-negative (belonged to the genera Burkholderia, Chryseobacterium and Pseudomonas) and one was Gram-positive (Microbacterium sp.). These bacteria grew on diverse keratin wastes such as feather meal, raw feathers, chicken nails, hair and wool. Keratinase activity was detected during growth, but the complete degradation of these substrates was not always achieved. The proteolytic character of crude enzymes was assessed using azokeratin and azocasein as substrates. The... |
