Microbial Degradation Mechanism of Keratin and Its Applications in Livestock and Poultry Production
CHEN Qiuping
XU Yi
LI Huiting
XU Yanxue
CAO Ziheng
WANG Yilin
YU Aochuan
GAO Chunqi
Abstract：The rapid expansion of the global poultry industry has led to a continuous increase in feather waste.Feathers contain more than 90%keratin,a structurally stable protein that is difficult to degrade.Conventional disposal methods often result in environmental pollution and resource wastage.Therefore,the efficient utilization of feathers has garnered increasing attention.This paper compares three different feather degradation processes and their respective advantages and disadvantages,discusses improved microbial-enzymatic synergistic methods for feather protein degradation,and reviews the application of degradation products in animal production.It also provides an outlook on the screening of highly efficient feather-degrading strains and the development of novel degradation processes,offering insights for the efficient utilization of feather waste.
Keywords：Feather wasteKeratin degradationMicrobial degradationKeratinase
Publication Date：2026-02-18
Online Publishing Date：2026-03-20(First online date of this platform, not the publication date of the document)
Pages：10( 6-15 )