Bacterial Cellulose (BC) and BC Composites: Production and Properties

Area of Science:

• Biotechnology
• Materials Science
• Microbiology

Background:

• Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a versatile biopolymer with numerous applications.
• Optimizing BC synthesis conditions and developing functionalized BC materials are crucial for expanding its utility.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the synthesis of bacterial cellulose (BC) by Komagataeibacter xylinus using various carbon substrates.
• To develop and characterize BC composites with silver nanoparticles and antibacterial drugs.
• To evaluate the antibacterial efficacy of the developed BC composites.

Main Methods:

• Cultivation of Komagataeibacter xylinus on diverse carbon sources (glycerol, glucose, molasses, oils) under submerged and static surface conditions.
• Fabrication of BC composites incorporating silver nanoparticles (BC/AgNPs) and antibiotics (chlorhexidine, baneocin, cefotaxime, doripenem).
• Characterization of structural, physicochemical, and mechanical properties of BC composites.
• Assessment of antibacterial activity using the disc-diffusion method against E. coli and S. aureus.

Main Results:

• Static surface cultures yielded larger BC films (up to 0.2 m²).
• Highest BC synthesis productivity was achieved with molasses (1.20 g/L/day) and glycerol (1.45 g/L/day).
• BC composites demonstrated pronounced antibacterial activity against E. coli and S. aureus.

Conclusions:

• Glycerol and molasses are highly productive substrates for bacterial cellulose synthesis.
• BC composites functionalized with silver nanoparticles and antibiotics exhibit significant antibacterial properties.
• These findings support the development of advanced BC-based materials for biomedical applications.