Use of feather-based culture media for the production of mosquitocidal bacteria

Human industrial activities, inevitably, generate industrial wastes, consisting of, inorganic and organic materials, discharged from factories, fisheries, poultries and food processing industries. Degrading or handling these wastes, as unused disposals, without acquiring any additional benefits has led to an idea to develop a suitable technology to utilize bio-organic wastes. Chicken feathers have been discarded in bulk as waste from poultry processing industries, poultry farms and shops, globally. They normally accumulate structural proteins (keratins) that are resistant to biodegradation. Considering the abundant supply of these feather wastes, we have successfully produced the biopesticides by culturing Bacillus sphaericus (Bs) and Bacillus thuringiensis serovar israelensis (Bti) strains to synthesize mosquitocidal toxins. Biochemical studies indicate that the mosquitocidal spore/crystal toxins produced from the experimental culture medium (chicken feather waste medium, CFWM) are similar to that of conventional medium (Nutrient Yeast Extract Salt Medium, NYSM). The bacteria produced in these media (NYSM and CFWM) were bioassayed against the mosquito vectors (Culex quinquefasciatus, Anopheles stephensi, Aedes aegypti) and the toxic effect was found to be comparable. Cost-effective analysis indicates that the use of chicken feather waste as culture medium is highly economical for the industrial production of these mosquito pathogenic bacilli. This study is, therefore, very important as it possesses the dual benefit of effective utilization of bio-organic waste materials from the environment and for the production of mosquitocidal biopesticides as well.