Abstract

Most of the hard-to-degrade keratin containing substrates like feathers or animal hairs is either discarded or incinerated, resulting in energy consumption and environmental pollution. Thus, an innovative eco-friendly method to deal with these wastes is urgently needed. Microbial degradation of keratin by keratinases has gained biotechnological interest in applications and represents a great opportunity to manage waste materials with no adverse impacts. This article deals with the importance of keratinase and its ongoing applications that can be further used in future to sustain environment. 

Keywords

Microbial keratinase, Bioremediation, Tanning, Dehairing, Prion degradation, Feedstuffs, Organic fertilizers, Biodegradable films, Glues, Foils, Trichophyton, Sodium carbonate, Caustic soda, Thioglycolic acid, Alkaline proteases, Drains, Epidermis