Patented Keratinolytic Enzymes for Industrial Application: An Overview

Proteases that perform keratin hydrolysis (keratinases) have great potential in biotechnology. After investigation, the next step to an industrial application is protecting intellectual property by patenting. There are many fields of discovered keratinase implementation dictated by features of the molecule and its producer. This article provides an overview of existing patents on keratinases. Among the patents found using terms related to 'keratinase', only those that contain data on the structure and features of the enzyme to provide a sufficient overview of the current situation are covered. It includes information on publication timelines of patents, as well as their origin; features of cultivation process and producers, such as fermentation type and pathogenicity; and features of enzymes, such as their classes, pH, and temperature optima. This article summarizes information about proprietary keratinases and reflects trends and dependencies in their production and application development. It is also the first review of existing patents on keratinases, which emphasizes the uniqueness and novelty of this article.