Assessment of safety and efficiency of nitrogen organic fertilizers from animal-based Protein Hydrolysates - a laboratory multidisciplinary approach

The Protein Hydrolysates are high N content organic fertilizers allowing to recover by-products (leather meal and fluid hydrolysed proteins) otherwise disposed as polluting wastes, enhancing matter and energy conservation in agricultural systems, while decreasing potential pollutions. Chemical and biological characteristics of Protein Hydrolysates from animal origin (HPs) were analysed in this work to assess their safety, environmental sustainability and agricultural efficacy as fertilizers. Different HPs obtained by thermal, chemical and enzymatic hydrolytic processes were characterised with FT-IR spectroscopy and SDS-PAGE, their safety and efficacy were assessed through bioassays, eco-toxicological tests and soil biochemistry analyses