Production of alkaline protease from Elizabethkingia meningoseptica KB042 using chicken feathers

摘要

Alkaline protease was produced by Elizabethkingia meningoseptica KB042 using waste chicken feathers as substrate. The specific activity of alkaline protease in the culture filtrate and ammonium sulfate precipitate (60%) was 174.90 and 487.52, respectively. This enzyme displayed optimum activity at 60°C and pH 10.0 and retained more than 65% of its optimum activity at pH 9.0 and 11.0. The apparent molecular weight of the enzyme as determined by SDS-PAGE was 66 kDa. The culture filtrate and its protein precipitate were found to posses dehairing activity, indicating its potential in the leather processing industry. Microscopic observation confirmed that the hairs recovered from enzyme-treated skin were intact. The results suggest that chicken feathers can be used as potential substrate for the production of dehairing enzyme using the above strain.