Valorization of poultry feather waste for natural antioxidant production

Feather waste utilization as a valuable resource stands for an outstanding research area within poultry industry. Feather, being rich in protein, offers a valuable opportunity in terms of its conversion into useful products. Within this framework, this study aims to explore a rapid method for processing feather waste through chemical processes so as to produce feather protein hydrolysate (FPH), which can serve as a natural antioxidant source. A production yield of 11.81% was obtained when the hydrolysis was undertaken using 1 M sulfuric acid, 50 g/L solid to liquid ratio at 90 °C after 100 min of hydrolysis. In vitro antioxidant activities, assessed by 2′-azino-bis-3-ethylbenzothiazoline-6-sulphonic acid and hydrogen peroxide scavenging assays, demonstrated that FPH revealed an excellent free radical-scavenging ability with a 50% inhibitory concentration value of 0.121 and 3.26 mg/mL, respectively. The impact of FPH administration of mice (200 and 400 mg/Kg body weight) for five weeks on body and organs weight progress, hematological parameters, antioxidant status and histological observations were assessed through in vivo assays. Results indicated that FPH administration significantly decreased thiobarbituric acid reagent substances and increased enzymatic antioxidants activities (superoxide dismutase, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase) in liver, kidney, and heart tissues when compared to control mice. These findings were confirmed by histological assay, certifying that FPH obtained through acid treatment exhibits potential benefits for animal health and performance. These results can be regarded as valuable as they allow for a workable application of feather waste in promoting livestock feed formulations.