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African Journal of Environmental Economics and Management ISSN 2375-0707 Vol. 3 (3), pp. 221-224, March, 
2015. Available online at www.internationalscholarsjournals.org © International Scholars Journals 

 

Author(s) retain the copyright of this article. 

 

Short Communication 
  

A study of the degradation of feather and hair wastes 
in an eco-friendly way so as to make the waste 

dumping soils fertile 
 

Ashok Patel
1
, Shri Kohli

2
 and Prakash Kohli

2
 

 
1
College of Environmental Engineering, Sardarkrushinagar Dantiwada Agricultural University, Palanpur, Gujarat, India. 
2
Department of Environmental Studies, Faculty of Agriculture, Navsari Agricultural University, Navsari, Gujarat, India 

 
Accepted 21 January, 2015 

 

The current study was aimed at the degradation of feather and hair wastes in an eco-friendly way, which 
should further be helpful to make the waste dumping soils fertile. Degradation of feathers and hair was 
assessed by a highly potent Keratinophilic fungus namely Chrysosporium tropicum. The 60 day experiment 
was set up with sterile defatted feather and hair as substrates in a mineral medium along with the inoculum 
of the organism. The culture filtrate was analyzed every 10 days, for the release of catabolic products such as 
protein and keratinase, along with the concomitant increase in pH. Maximum degradation was found on the 
40th day sample, where the protein released was 6.9mg/ml and the Keratinolytic activity was 8.56 KU/ml. The 
increase in pH (from neutral), towards alkalinity up to 40days (9.0) of incubation and decline thereafter, 
indicates that the release of soluble protein into the medium is maximum for 40 days. Among the two 
substrates used, Chrysosporium tropicum had more effect on hair than that of feather. 

 
Key words: Feather waste, hair waste, Keratinophilic fungi, Chrysosporium tropicum. 

 
INTRODUCTION 
 
Environmental pollution and degradation of ecosystem 
have assumed significance owing to an increase in the 
accumulation of wastes from industries, agriculture and 
poultry. In India, poultry feather, animal hair and other 
keratin sources do not find suitable applications. Surveys 
conducted at different feather dumping soils in various 
places (Ali-shtayeh et al., 2001; Hubalek et al., Krysztof, 
Ali-shtayeh et al., Vidal et al., 2000; Moallaei et al., 2006; 
Vidyasagar et al., 2003) all over the world (Aleer Rose, 
1980; Ali-shtayeh, 1989; Dominik et al., 1964; Filipello 
marchisio et al., 1991; Merkantini et al., 1983; Abdel-
hafez et al., 1987) including at various places in India 
(Deshmukh, 1998; Anbu et al., Deshmukh, 2004; 
Ramesh et al., 2002) and in-and-around Visakhapatnam, 
indicated that several tons of poultry feather go as waste 
every day. 
 
 

 
Corresponding Author Email: ashok_patel@gmail.com 

 
 
 

On the other hand, as Andhra Pradesh is the home of 
many religious pilgrim centers and people believe that 
hair is a symbolic offering to the gods, representing a real 
sacrifice of beauty and in return, are given blessings in 
proportion to their sacrifice, hair is becoming a major 
keratin material being dumped around temples and 
pilgrimages which causes the occurrence of too many 
Keratinophilic fungal population in those soils.  

In general Keratinophilic fungi are a group of fungi that 
colonize various keratinous substrates and degrade them 
to components of low molecular weight (Harish, 2000). 
Poultry feathers and human hair contain the major 
component of keratin. Keratins are scleroproteins 
composed of long polypeptide chains, which are insoluble 
in dilute acids, alkali solutions and also resistant to the 
action of pepsin, trypsin and other non-substrate specific 
proteases because of their high content of cystine. The 
higher the percentage of sulfur, the higher is the stability 
of keratin towards solubilization (Malcom, 2000).  

The disruption of insoluble keratin is generally believed 
to be an enzymatic process (Deshmukh, 2004). 



Ashok et al.           221 
 
 

 
Keratinases are the key enzymes elaborated by 
Keratinophilic fungi for the degradation of keratin (Tawfik 
et al., 2001; Vidal et al., 2000). The enzyme is inducible 
and extra-cellular in nature.  

Therefore, an attempt has been made to suggest the 
possibility of degradation of waste feather and hair by 
enzyme production in association with saprophytes with 
higher Keratinolytic potential. 
 
 
MATERIAL AND METHODS 
 
C Tropicum, a Keratinolytic saprophyte isolated and identified (in 
comparison with that of strain procured from IMTECH, Chandigarh  
– Code: MTCC2821) from soil was maintained on Potato Dextrose 
Agar medium (PDA) (Scrubbed and Diced Potaoes-200.0g; 
Dextrose-20.0g; Agar-15.0g; Distilled Water- 1000ml; pH-5.6).  

Mineral medium was used for assay for keratin degradation (Di-
Potassium hydrogen O-phosphate-1.500g; Magnesium sulfate-
0.050g; Calcium chloride-0.025g; Ferrous sulfate-0.015g; Zinc 
sulfate-0.005g; Distilled water-1000ml; Sterile defatted feather or 
hair -10g; pH-7.5). Feathers or hair were defatted by soaking them 
in Methanol-Chloroform mixture (1:1) for 24 hours, washed with 
water and air dried. 

 
Biochemical changes during hydrolysis of hair and feathers 
 

50 ml of the prepared mineral medium with hair and feather was 
distributed in 250 ml Erlenmayer’s flasks and were sterilized at 

120
o
C for 20 minutes. The liquid media were inoculated with 1 ml of 

spore suspension from the test fungi and incubated at 28±1
o
C in 

static condition for a period of 60 days. During the period of 
incubation, samples were drawn at regular intervals of 10 days and 
analyzed to study the progress of feather degradation.  

The culture filtrate was centrifuged at 4000 rpm fro 5 minute. and 
the collected supernatant was used to assess the: 
 

1. Changes in pH (Systronics pH Meter)   
2. Estimation of protein (Bradford, 1976)   
3. Determination of Keratinolytic activity  
4. Changes in pH  

 
Changes in pH:nA clear cut evidence to assess the progress of 
poultry feather degradation was obtained by observing the changes 
in hydrogen ion concentration of the mineral media. The changes 
towards alkalinity of culture filtrate were measured by using a pH 
meter (Systronics pH meter) with glass electrode. 
 
Estimation of protein (Bradford, 1976): To 1 ml of sample, 2 ml of 
Coomassie Brilliant Blue solution was added and the absorbance 
was taken at 595 nm after 2 to 30 min. of incubation. Amount of 
protein released in the culture filtrate was calculated with the help of 
standard prepared by using Bovine Serum Albumin (BSA) as the 
substrate. 
 
Coomassie Brilliant Blue Solution: In a volumetric flask, 100mg 
Coomassie Brilliant Blue G-250 was dissolved in 50ml of 95% 
ethanol. Later 100ml of 85% phopshoric Acid was added and 
diluted up to 500 ml with distilled water. This solution was filtered 

through Whatmann No.1 filter paper and stored in cold room at 4
o
C. 

 
Determination of Keratinolytic Activity: Keratinolytic activity was 
assayed by a modified method, using Hair/Feather as substrate. 20 
mg of Hair/feather from different temples, pilgrim and tonsure 
centers were cut into 1-3 mm long bits and were suspended in 

 

  
 
 

 
3.5ml of Tris-HCl buffer (0.1M, pH7.8) to which 0.2 ml of culture 

filtrate was added. The mixture was kept in a water bath at 37
o
C for 

1 h after incubation, the assay mixture was dipped in ice cold water 
for 10 min. and the remaining feather was filtered out. The optical 
density of clear mixture was measured by UV-Visible-
Spectrophotometer at 280nm against corresponding blank that was 
prepared in the same way, instead of enzyme solution, buffer was 
added. 
 
Enzyme Unit: One unit of Keratinolytic activity (KU) was the 
amount of enzyme that could liberate products having an 
absorbance of 0.1 under the assay condition (1KU=0.100 corrected 
absorbance) (Kavitha et al., 2000). 
 
 
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION 
 
The amount of catabolic degradative products such as 
protein and keratinase production along with the 
simultaneous increase in pH was an indication of feather 
degradation. 
 
Changes in pH: The changes in pH towards alkalinity 
were assessed during hydrolysis. In all setups with C 
Tropicum, there was a gradual increase in pH of the 
medium up to 40 days of incubation followed by decline 
thereafter (Figure 1).  

The medium, set up for feather hydrolysis showed the 
pH: 7.9, 8.6, 8.8, 9.0, 8.5 and 7.9 while the setup for hair 
degradation showed the pH: 8.0, 8.8, 8.9, 9.2, 8.7 and 8.2 
for 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th days 
respectively.  
The set up with hair as substrate has shown maximum 
change in pH (7.5 to 9.2) than that of the feather (7.4 to 
9.0).  

The tendency towards alkalization of the medium may 
be due to the hydrolysis of feather and hair and the 
decline in pH at the end of the experiment may have 
been caused by the accumulation of degraded products 
especially acidic sulfur compounds in the media. This 
change in pH was an indicator for as well as pre-
conditioner for Keratinolysis (Kavitha et al., 2000). 
 
Estimation of protein: As shown in the figure 2, the 
maximum amount of protein was released by C 
Tropicum, in 40th day sample (6.9mg/ml) and is same in 
both the cases where the feather and hair are used as 
substrates.  

A remarkable amount of protein was released by the 
keratinolytic activity of the C Tropicum, from all the 
samples: 4.9mg/ml, 5.4mg/ml, 6.1mg/ml, 6.9mg/ml, 
4.8mg/ml, and 4.2mg/ml for 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th 
and 60th days respectively, when feather was used as 
substrate.  

In accordance with the report of Kavitha et al., (2000), 
waste feathers and hair are valuable organic sources 
because of their high content protein. 
 
Determination of keratinolytic activity: Among all the 
setup samples, maximum keratinase production registered 



222         Afr. J. Environ. Econ. Manage. 
 
 
 
 

 10      
 

 9      
 

 8      
 

 7      
 

p
H

 6      
 

5      
 

4 
      

      
 

 3      
 

 2      
 

 1      
 

 0      
 

 10 20 30 40 50 60 
 

 
Time of Degradation (Days) 

 
 Test (Feather)  Control (Feather)  Test (Hair)  Control (Hair)  

    
 

 
Figure 1. Changes in pH of mineral medium after degradation by Chrysosporium tropicum. 

 
 
 

 

(m
g

/m
l)

 8      
 

7      
 

6      
 

5      
 

4 
     

 

P
ro

te
in

      
 

3      
 

2      
 

1      
 

 0      
 

 10 20 30 40 50 60 
 

 

Time of Degradation (Days) 
 

 
 Test (Feather)  Control (Feather) 

 
Test (Hair) 

 
Control (Hair)  

    
 

 
Figure 2. Estimation of protein after degradation by Chrysosporium tropicum (mg/ml) 

 
 

 
was 8.56 KU/ml on the 40th day when hair was used as 
substrate.  

It is evident from the results (Figure 3) that gradual 
increase in the keratinolytic activity of the C Tropicum up 
to 40 days and decline thereafter, on both the feather and 
hair as substrates, occurred. The keratinolytic activity 
values when feather was used as a substrate are the 
following: 5.12 KU/ml, 7.02 KU/ml, 7.93KU/ml, 

 
 

 
8.35KU/ml, 6.52KU/ml and 6.18KU/ml when feather was 
used as substrate, the keratinolytic activity values are: 
6.77 KU/ml, 7.37 KU/ml, 8.14KU/ml, 8.56KU/ml, 
6.50KU/ml and 5.92KU/ml when hair was used as 
substrate, for 10th, 20th, 30th, 40th, 50th and 60th days 
respectively.  

The results of the present study are in accordance with 
the work of Bohme et al., (1969) that, deamination was 



Ashok et al.           223 
 

 

(K
U

/m
l)

 

9      
 

8      
 

A
c
ti

v
it

y
 7      

 

6      
 

5      
 

4      
 

K
e
ra

ti
n

o
ly

ti
c

      
 

3      
 

2      
 

1      
 

0      
 

10 20 30 40 50 60  
 

 

 

Time of Degradation (Days) 
 
 
 

 Test (Feather)  Control (Feather)  Test (Hair)  Control (Hair)  

    
 

 
Figure 3. Determination of Keratinolytic activity by Chrysosporium tropicum (KU/ml) 

 
 

 
the key reaction of keratinolysis. In adding support to the 
view of present study, Ramesh and Hilda (1998) reported 
that the use of fungal keratinase was an industrial tool in 
the conversion of waste hairs into resource.  

The decline in keratinase activity on the 50th day may 
possibly be due to the end product inhibition caused by 
different catabolic degradative products of organic sulfur 
which is originally combined in feather and hair or due to 
the loss of accessory protein required for keratinase to 
act on feather or hair effectively. Such a conclusion was 
in accordance with the findings of Ramesh and Hilda 
(1998) and Kavitha et al., (2000). Hence, it is evident 
from the present investigation that the fungal strain of C 
Tropicum was a potent keratinolytic fungus both on 
feather and hair as substrate. 
 
 
Acknowledgements 
 
The authors are grateful to University Grants 
Commission, New Delhi for providing financial assistance 
and Department of Environmental studies, GITAM 
University, Visakhapatnam for providing laboratory 
facilities. 
 

 
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