EXTRACTION OF KERATIN PROTEIN FROM WHITE CHICKEN FEATHERS AND THEIR NUTRITIONAL APPLICATION IN SOCIAL WELFARE

Abstract

Keratins are insoluble structural proteins with highly crossed-linking, which constitutes the major components of tough protective tissues, such as
hair, wool, feather, horn, and nail, and so on. Protein is an important nutrient needed by human body to maintain the body structures and it is a chief
constituents for cosmetic products. Chicken feathers having huge amount of keratin protein content and become a suitable protein source. There are
two processes that involved in dissolving chicken feathers using different reducing agents and second one separating the protein from chemicals.
Reducing agents used are thioglycolic acid and sodium sulphide. Once the feathers are dissolved in reducing agents, ammonium sulfate solution
used for the solution of precipitation of protein. The precipitated protein is washed with distilled water for several times and sodium hydroxide
solution is used to obtain protein solution form After the methods of precipitation, washing and dissolving the protein solution, the percentage of
keratin protein is evaluated by means of biuret test. From this processes, it can be concluded that protein can be extracted from chicken feathers. The
keratin protein solution can be used for several purposes such as anti-aging cream, shampoo, and conditioner and for medical purposes such as bone
replacement and bone graft.