Production of peptone from chicken feathers

Peptones are the product of a protein hydrolysis, which serve as the main nutrient source for bacteria in a culture media. This study aimed to provide a locally feasible process for peptone production. Optimization results for Phase 1 showed that a temperature of 90°C, a digestion time of 4 hours, and a ratio of 0.06 g feathers/mL produced a yield of 50.6%. Statistical analysis showed that E. coli growth on the laboratory-produced peptone is significantly greater than the growth realized on commercial peptone and plate count agar. B. cereus growth on laboratory-produced peptone, however, was significantly lower than the growth on commercial peptone and plate count agar. Purification, drying, and characterization techniques were integrated into the existing process for Phase 2 to obtain peptones with better commercial quality. The maximum yield obtained was 30 g peptone per 100 g feathers. Freeze-dried powders from the purified hydrolysates had reduced odor and moisture as compared to the vacuum dried peptone. The vacuum-filtered batch also approximated the physical characteristics of the standard peptone hydrolysate. Performance testing for Phase 2 showed increased support for bacterial growth.