CHARACTERIZATION AND OPTIMIZATION OF KERATINOLYTIC BACTERIA Pseudomonas stutzeri C3 ISOLATED FROM POULTRY WASTE SOIL SAMPLE

Microbial degradation of keratinous wastes is preferred over physicochemical methods, because it’s a cost effective and eco-friendly. Novel habitats are promising for discovery of new microbial strains. Towards isolate a keratinolytic bacteria, screening of bacterial strains from a poultry farm soil in Namakal district, Tamil Nadu, India was done and a promising the isolate C3 was found to degrade native chicken feather efficiently. It could grow over a pH range 7 at 40°C and in presence of potassium nitrate as a nitrogen source and citrate as a carbon source. Based on phenotypic characterization and 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, the keratinolytic isolate was identified as Pseudomonas stutzeri C3. It produced 30.86±1.08 U/ml keratinase in raw feather medium and complete feather degradation at 5 days incubation periods.