Published in Scientific Bulletin. Series F. Biotechnologies, Vol. XXVII, Issue 1
Written by Victor Alexandru FARAON, Eliza Gabriela MIHĂILĂ, Naomi TRITEAN, Bogdan TRICĂ, Luiza CAPRĂ, Mihail-Bogdan ROMAN, Diana CONSTANTINESCU-ARUXANDEI, Florin OANCEA
Biowastes have emerged as a promising source for the production of value-added products, reducing the burden on landfills and promoting the concept of a circular economy. Chicken feathers, constituting a significant fraction of the poultry industry's waste stream, possess a robust protein structure composed mainly of keratin. Keratin is a biopolymer with unique properties, including high nitrogen content and slow degradation, making it an attractive candidate for various applications in agriculture and other fields. One of the main problems is the development of more eco-friendly methods for the efficient extraction of this biopolymer. The aim of this study was to compare the yield of keratin extraction from chicken feathers by three methods, alkaline, acidic and subcritical water and to characterize the keratin obtained by the most eco-friendly method, i.e., subcritical water. The subcritical water extraction is a promising alternative to the alkaline and acidic extractions, if proper optimization is carried out. We show that SDS-PAGE electrophoresis combined with FTIR analysis can offer valuable Information in this respect.
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