Eco-friendly innovations for enhancing value from farm to function using poultry feathers

The poultry industry has seen significant growth in response to the expanding global population, resulting in an increased demand for white meat. Recently, agricultural by-products derived from poultry have gained attention for their potential use in various applications. However, the large-scale utilization of by-products like keratin faces challenges such as low thermoplasticity and difficulty in dissolving keratin, as well as limited knowledge about the properties and processability of the resulting products. To address these issues, both chemical and biological methods are employed to extract keratin and produce different products. One promising strategy is the bioconversion of these by-products into valuable materials using enzymes. A small peptide product obtained through enzymatic biodegradation can be used in green biotechnology for industrial applications as a feed additive or a significant protein source. This review aims to discuss the eco-friendly fermentation process for feather by-products and their multifunctional applications in areas such as water purification, cosmetics, and biomedical uses. Additionally, it addresses the challenges associated with the utilization of chicken feathers and proposes possible solutions to overcome them. • Adding value to agro-industrial waste can be accomplished through bioconversion. • Byproduct utilization is hindered by nutritional, technological, and economic obstacles. • Chicken feathers are a huge bioresource for developing multifunctional materials. • Keratin-derived materials hold promise to replace petro-based materials.