Abstract
One of the environmental pollutants in the word is Keratin waste which is produced mostly from the poultry farms, slaughterhouses, and leather industries. Beneficial organisms are found in nature and considered as a well-known microflora (fungi and bacteria), which have the capability to degrade the keratin waste. This review deals with the different application of microbial keratinase. The keratinolytic microflora has been qualified to produce keratinase enzyme for biodegradation (enzymatic degradation). Keratinases are proteolytic enzymes accomplished of degrading insoluble keratin protein present in skin, hair, nail, or feather. Keratinases are active over wide range of conditions and are useful in bio recycling of keratin wastes into feed and fertilizers. They also have potential applications in leather, cosmetic, textile, biomedical and detergent industries. The applications of keratinases extend to energy generation and green synthesis of nanoparticles. Due to their ubiquitous biotechnological applications, techniques such as immobilization, optimization strategies, protein engineering and DNA recombinant technology have been used to improve their activities and stabilities thereby widening the scope for commercialization. This review records recent multi-functional applications of keratinases.