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Biodegradation of Chicken Feathers by A Co-Culture of Alcaligenes and Brevundimonas

Pahua-Ramos ME, Hernandez-Melchor DJ, Camacho-Perez B, Galicia-Garcia PR, Ceron-Montes GI and Quezada-Cruz M

The most widely used processes for the degradation of feathers use pure strains of bacteria. The aim of this research is to standardize the optimum laboratory conditions for the biodegradation of chicken feathers. The study was conducted in one-liter flasks with a co-culture of bacteria isolated and identified by 16S rDNA sequencing as Alcaligenes faecalis and Brevundimonas diminuta from a chicken processing plant. The best results obtained in the first stage (temperature and carbon source) informed the second stage, which consisted in the evaluation of the degradation of feathers using different concentrations of nutrient broth (25%, 50% and 100%). The concentration of protein and amino acids was quantified for evaluated the degradation of feathers. The results showed that the proposed method can achieve total degradation of feathers (including the rachis) at 11 days with nutrient broth. The maximum concentration of protein in the soluble fraction obtained after the degradation process at 32°C and with nutrient broth at 25%, 50% and 100%, was 12.60 μg/mL ± 0.1 μg/mL, 14.60 μg/mL ± 0.02 μg/mL and 18.60 μg/mL ± 0.01 μg/mL, respectively. The production of free amino acids was 2.64 mg/mL and detected tryptophan and tyrosine. This study shows a promising biotechnology for reducing pollution by feathers.