Screening and Identification of Keratin-degrading Microorganisms Isolated from Different Chicken-feather Waste Dumpsite Soils in Ilorin Metropolis, Nigeria

The eradication of keratin waste substrate in environment is of great concern, hence the need to look for an ecofriendly way of getting rid of them. Hence, the objective of this paper was to isolate, screen and identify keratin degrading microorganisms from soil samples collected from different chicken feather dumpsites in Ilorin metropolis, Kwara State, Nigeria using appropriate standard methods. A total of thirteen (13) microorganisms were purified and screened for proteolytic activity, seven (B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, F1 and F3) showed appreciable zone of clearance and were further used in keratinase activity determination over 21days, after which percentage chicken feather weight loss was determined. B1 showed highest keratinase activity of 42.48 U/ml at day 7, B2 40.88 U/ml at day 9, B3 24.32 U/ml at day 11, B4 49.36 U/ml at day 9, B5 19.36 U/ml at day 7, F1 45.52 U/ml at day 11 and F3 45.04 U/ml at day 13. All isolate except B5 had the least activity at day 1. Percentage chicken feather weight loss after 21 days revealed that B1, B2, B3, B4, B5, F1 and F3 had 49, 38, 6, 64, 9, 39 and 57 respectively. Molecular identification of best keratinase producers (B1, B2 B4 F1 and F3) revealed the isolates to be Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus cereus, Alcaligenes faecalis, Aspergillus niger and Aspergillus aculeatus respectively. These organisms have shown they are good keratinase producers and should consider in the large-scale degradation of chicken feather pollutant.