Mucilage based keratin film production and characterization

With the rapid increase in the world population, the demand for white meat is increasing. Goose feather, a by-product of the poultry industry and rarely used, is one of the most abundant renewable keratin biomass in the world. Processing to get rid of these wastes (such as incineration, burial) causes environmental problems. So, converting this biowaste into a biocomposite film is considered not only a sustainable strategy for the disposal of this solid waste, but also an attractive alternative to develop an efficient biomaterial from renewable bioresources.In addition to being a cheap, easily accessible and renewable resource, waste goose feathers have advantages in many applications due to their low density, high compressibility and elasticity. Poultry feathers contain 91% keratin. In this thesis, edible film was produced for the first time by using quince seed mucilage and keratin obtained from goose feathers. The study includes purification of keratin from waste goose feathers, production and characterization of mucilage-based keratin film (FT-IR, TGA and SEM), and determination of antioxidant activities. The results of the analysis have shown that goose feather is a potential alternative source for obtaining both economical and environmentally friendly products in areas such as burn treatment and wound healing.