Physical Parameter Screening of Feather Protein Hydrolysate Production by Aspergillus terreus UniMAP AA-1 using Submerged Fermentation

Feathers, a significant by-product of the poultry industry, pose considerable waste management challenges due to their abundance and resistance to degradation. This study explores the potential of utilizing chicken feather waste as a sustainable protein source through microbial fermentation. We employed Aspergillus terreus UniMAP AA-1, a keratinolytic fungus for fermentation aimed at degrading feather keratin. Various fermentation conditions, including initial pH, fermentation time, and inoculum size were tested using a fractional factorial design to optimize protein yield. The highest protein hydrolysate concentration achieved was 5.92 mg/mL, obtained with an inoculum size of 5%, a fermentation duration of 10 days, and an initial pH of 10.0. These results underscore the effectiveness of Aspergillus terreus UniMAP AA-1 in transforming feather waste into valuable protein hydrolysate. This research contributes to the advancement of eco-friendly and economically viable methods for valorizing poultry by-products, addressing environmental issues while providing innovative protein sources for livestock feed formulations.