Biodegradation of poultry waste for the production of mosquitocidal toxins

The idea of the present study was to explore the possibility of degrading chicken feathers, discarded as environmental waste, from poultry processing industries, for bacterial culture media preparation to produce mosquitocidal toxins. For this study, we made use of the chicken feather powder (0.5%), for the preparation of bacterial culture media. It enabled the complete degradation of feather waste by the entomopathogenic bacteria (Bacillus sphaericus and Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis), thus helping to overcome the problem of dumping of poultry feather waste into the environment. The new fermentation technique also facilitated the effective storage of raw material (feathers), enabling easy transportation and convenience in handling and application. The bioremediation method thus envisaged proved to be cost effective for the preparation of culture media with high efficacy of bacterial toxin production and mosquito vector control. In conclusion, this study possesses the dual benefits of efficient biodegradation of environmental bioorganic waste (chicken feathers) and effective production of mosquitocidal biopesticides.