ISSN print edition: 0366-6352 ISSN electronic edition: 1336-9075 Registr. No.: MK SR 9/7 Published monthly

Valorization of cattle horns and hooves: optimization of the keratin extraction process

Duban A. Villadiego, Libia L. Julio, Luis Armando Espitia, Andrés Jaramillo, Carolina Jiménez-Argumedo, María Tavera-Quiroz, and Arlet P. Franco

Fundación SAHED Research Group, Fundación para el Saneamiento, Emprendimiento y Desarrollo Sostenible—SAHED, Ambiente, Higiene, Montería, Colombia

E-mail: arletfranco@gmail.com

Received: 23 October 2025  Accepted: 13 January 2026

Abstract:

The valorization of agricultural waste is a worldwide trend, addressed by circular economy (CE) strategies. Several options have been widely studied to develop new uses for waste-based products. Since keratin sources are renewable, biodegradable, and low-cost materials, they can be used as raw materials for different industries such as pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, biomedical, and manufacturing. Optimization of the extraction conditions of keratin from cattle horns and hooves (CHH) is mandatory to increase the yield, which depends on the input variables such as time (120, 180, and 240 min), temperature (50, 60, and 70 °C), and NaOH concentration (0.5, 0.75, and 1.0 M). A Box-Behnken experimental design with fifteen (15) experimental runs was generated by the Python script and constructed using the Python libraries pyDOE2 and doepy. The hydrolysate keratin was characterized using FTIR analysis to identify the functional groups formed. The highest yield was reported under mild conditions, with the lowest processing time and NaOH concentration (120 min and 0.5 M) at an intermediate temperature (60 °C). The response surface method reported the optimal conditions for keratin extraction to be 120 min, 0.52 M NaOH, and 53.3 °C. Although the chemical structure of the extracted keratin was similar across all runs, its properties, such as color and transmittance, could vary.

Graphical abstract

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Keywords: Circular economy; Bio-based materials; Alkaline hydrolysis; Agricultural waste; Bovine by-products

Full paper is available at www.springerlink.com.

DOI: 10.1007/s11696-026-04678-9

Chemical Papers 80 (4) 4149–4159 (2026)