Abstract
Feathers, rich in keratin, are usually the unused by-products of poultry industries. In addition, the cast-off X-ray films serve as secondary sources of silver, and the traditional method of silver extraction from this source is costly and not eco-friendly. Therefore, the current study focuses on protease production using a freshwater bacterium Chryseobacterium cucumeris SARJS-2, aiming to convert these wastes into useful products. The protease production was optimized by one-factor-at-a-time (OFAT), followed by Plackett Burman design (PBD) and response surface methodology (RSM). The protease production got enhanced by more than two folds after the statistical optimisation. Upon partial purification, the enzyme activity increased by approximately three folds. The protease was active in the range of temperatures from 25 to 75 °C, but the optimum temperature was recorded as 35 °C. The protease exhibited detergent compatibility and organic solvent stability. The detergent compatibility suggests the protease could be a detergent additive. It was also found that the presence of Fe+2 enhanced protease activity. The protease was tested for stain removal, feather degradation and silver recovery applications. It was found that the protease could efficiently remove stains of blood and tomato sauce. In addition, the protease was found to be a successful candidate for feather degradation, thereby feather-hydrolysate production which has prominent roles as nature-friendly fertilizer and animal feed ingredient. The protease also degraded gelatin from the X-ray films to release the silver-halides for silver recovery. The results recommend that the SARJS-2 protease is a potential candidate for use in eco-friendly applications in various industrial sectors.