The aim of this paper was to select keratin hydrolysate with bioactive properties by using the enzymatic hydrolysis of wool. Different proteolytic enzymes such as Protamex, Esperase, and Valkerase were used to break keratin molecules in light of bioactive additive preparation. The enzymatic keratin hydrolysates were assessed in terms of the physico-chemical characteristics related to the content of dry substance, total nitrogen, keratin, ash, cysteic sulphur, and cysteine. The influence of enzymatic hydrolysis on molecular weight and amino acid composition was determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analyses. Antimicrobial activity of keratin hydrolysates was analysed against Fusarium spp., a pathogenic fungus that can decrease the quality of plants. The bioactivity of enzymatic hydrolysates was tested on maize plants and allowed us to select the keratin hydrolysates processed with the Esperase and Valkerase enzymes. The ratio of organised structures of hydrolysate peptides was analysed by attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) deconvolution of the amide I band and may explain the difference in their bioactive behaviour. The most important modifications in the ATR spectra of maize leaves in correlation with the experimentally proven performance on maize development by plant length and chlorophyll index quantification were detailed. The potential of enzymatic hydrolysis to design additives with different bioactivity was shown in the case of plant growth stimulation.

Concentrated collagen hydrolysate (HC10CC), rabbit collagen glue (RCG), and keratin hydrolysate (KH) were investigated in terms of their extraction from mammalian by-products and processing by electrospinning. The electrospun nanofibers were characterized by scanning electron microscopy coupled with the energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM/EDS), attenuated total reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), differential scanning calorimetry (DSC), and indentation tests. The cytotoxicity of the electrospun nanofibers was conducted on L929 fibroblast cells using MTT and LDH assays and cell morphology observations. The electrospun RCG and KH nanofibers morphology showed an average size of nanofibers ranging between 44 and 410 nm, while the electrospun HC10CC nanofibers exhibited higher sizes. The ATR-FTIR spectra performed both on extracted proteins and electrospun nanofibers showed that the triple helix structure of collagen is partially preserved. The results were in agreement with the circular dichroism analysis for protein extracts. Furthermore, the viscoelastic properties of electrospun KH nanofibers were superior to those of electrospun RCG nanofibers. Based on both in vitro quantitative and qualitative analysis, the electrospun nanofibers were not cytotoxic, inducing a healthy cellular response. The results of new electrospun protein-based nanofibers may be useful for further research on bioactive properties of these nanofibers for tissue engineering.

The world’s population, areas intended for the production of bio-mass and bio-fuels and the food demand of mankind are on a continuous ascending trend. In this context, an increased efficiency in obtaining large and steady productions, in compliance with the requirements of sustainable development of the agricultural eco-system, is a priority. To be effective, the seed treatment will fulfill the following requirements: shall disinfect and protect the seeds against the pests and pathogen agents found in the soil, shall ensure the system protection, shall not pollute the soil, water and environment, shall have no remnant effect onto the environment and onto the crops and shall be bio-degradable, easy to transport and to use. This paper aims at presenting new collagen based materials for cereal seed treatment, which generates an increase of the quality and protection indicators for treated seeds. Creation of a new and advanced technology for treatment of cereal seeds, by using pesticide-collagen hydrolysate mixes has the objectives of increasing seed quality indexes; reducing pesticide consumption, which will in turn decrease environmental pollution and the cost of treatment for cereal seeds; achieving a better management of resources; reducing production expenses while preserving the environment. The technologies developed for protein raw material processing and characteristics of collagen hydrolysates with bioactive properties are presented. The future route for ecological treatment of seeds is the use of microencapsulated plant extracts (thyme and cinnamon essential oils) with insecticidal and antifungal properties in a shell made using collagen hydrolysate.