الفهرس 
Feather MorphologyOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Worldwide poultry processing plants produce millions of tons of feathers as a waste product annually, which consists of approximately 90% keratin. Feathers represent 5-7% of the total weight of mature chickens. As known feather causes serious environmental problem all over the world.These feathers constitute a sizable waste disposal problem. Feathers hydrolyzed by mechanical or chemical treatment can be converted to feedstuffs, fertilizers, glues and foils or used for the production of amino acids and peptides.Keratinolytic enzymes have important utilities in biotechnological processes involving keratin-containing wastes from poultry and leather industries, through the development of non-polluting processes. The aim of this study was to select keratin-degrading bacteria and to study their possibility to degrade chicken feathers.Keeping all these points in view, the present study was carried out with the following objectives:1. Isolation and purification of different bacteria from different habitat. 2. Screening the bacterial isolates capable to degrade feather. 3. Identification of the most active degrading bacteria.4. Effect of cultural conditions on the production of keratinase by the identified bacteria.5. Isolation and purification of keratinase produced by the identified bacteria.6. characterization of the purified keratinase enzyme.