Keratin Degradation by Aspergillus niger and Penicillium purpurogenum Isolated from Nigerian Soil

Keratin degrading Aspergillus niger and Penicillium purpurogenum were isolated from soils collected from human hair dumping ground using skim milk agar screening method. These fungi hydrolyzed skim milk casein indicated by halo zones of hydrolysis of 62mm and 64mm produced by them respectively. The fungal species also utilized keratin of ground human hair and chicken feather and hydrolyzed them to reducing sugars and proteins with P. purpurogenum being a better degrader of chicken feather and human hair producing 13.5 and 12.0 U/ml respectively than A. niger.