LAUSR

AIMS Feathers are keratin-rich byproducts of poultry processing but that are often frequently abandoned as garbage and polluting the environment. Therefore, the study focused on the efficient biodegradation, bioactivity, and high-value application of feather keratin. METHODS AND RESULTS Feather-degrading bacteria were identified and the degradation properties were characterized. DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging assays, cytotoxicity assays, intracellular reactive oxygen scavenging assays, and cell migration assays were used to examine the biological activities of the feather keratin hydrolysis peptides (FKHPs). The results showed that we screened a feather-degrading strain of B. licheniformis 8-4, which achieved complete degradation of 2% (w/v) feathers within 48 h. Notably, the feather fermentation broth was particularly high in FKHPs, which exhibited good DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging ability. Further studies revealed that FKHPs had both the ability to scavenge H2O2-induced ROS from HaCat cells and to promote HaCat cell migration, while remaining non-toxicity. CONCLUSIONS The effective feather-degrading ability of B. licheniformis 8-4 allowed for the fermentation of feather medium to yield active peptides that were both antioxidant and pro-cell migration.