Enzymatic hydrolysis of tannery fleshings using chicken intestine proteases

Chicken intestine and tannery fleshings, the major wastes from poultry and tannery industries posing wide disposal problems, are used in this study for the recovery of proteins through biodegradation. Chicken intestines have been investigated as a source of proteolytic and autolytic enzymes for the hydrolysis of tannery fleshings. A combination of tannery fleshings and chicken intestines at acidic pH, when incubated at 37°C, leads to optimum hydrolysis of tannery fleshings as evidenced by tyrosine release. The protein hydrolysate obtained could be incorporated in poultry or fish feed formulations. Altered amounts of protein content in the supernatant indicated an increased rate of hydrolysis of fleshings in the presence of enzyme (chicken intestine). Moisture, ash, total protein and fat levels in the sun-dried product were 94.3 g kg−1, 110.9 g kg−1, 698.0 g kg−1 and 91.4 g kg−1, respectively. About 75% of the total protease activity of the chicken intestine was found in mucosal layer.