Department of Applied Microbiology and Biotechnology, Dr. Hari Singh Gour Vishwavidyalaya, Sagar, Madhya Pradesh 470 003 India
*Corresponding author; E-mail: micjain@hotmail.com Tel: 91(7582)265517; Fax: 91(7582)264236
Forty seven fungi isolated from soil using hair bait technique were tested for degradation of keratin and production of lipase and gelatinase. Most of the fungi degraded larger amount of hen feathers than human hairs. All the fungi produced lipase, while only 42 fungi produced extracellular protease (gelatinase). Scytalidium album MA3 caused a maximum of 57.5 ± 0.04 per cent degradation in hen feathers in 20 d at 28± 2°C, while CH1 and CH3 isolates of Chrysosporium, F7 and F8 of Fusarium and MI 3 of Microsporum degraded between 40 to 50 per cent feathers in the same period. The importance of these fungal isolates in bioconversion of keratinic waste into value added products has also been discussed.>
Hair bait technique, keratinophilic fungi, lipase, protease, keratin degradation
