Production, Optimization, and Characterization of Bio-cellulose Produced from Komagataeibacter (Acetobacter aceti...

Bio-cellulose is a type of cellulose that is produced by some particular group of bacteria, for example, Komagataeibacter (previously known as Acetobacter), due to their natural ability to synthesize exopolysaccharide as a byproduct. Gluconacetobacter xylinus is mostly employed for the production of bio-cellulose throughout the world. Therefore, exploring other commonly available strains, such as Komagataeibacter aceti (Acetobacter aceti), is needed for cellulose production.

Bio-cellulose is one of the most reliable biomaterials in the limelight because it is highly pure, crystalline, and biocompatible. Hence, it is necessary to enhance the industrial manufacturing of bio-cellulose with low costs. Different media such as fruit waste, milk whey, coconut water, sugarcane juice, mannitol broth, and H&S (Hestrin and Schramm's) broth were utilized as a medium for culture growth. Other factors like temperature, pH, and time were also optimized to achieve the highest yield of bio-cellulose. Moreover, after the synthesis of biocellulose, its physicochemical and structural properties were evaluated.

The results depicted that the highest yield of bio-cellulose (45.735 mg/mL) was found at 30 °C, pH 5, and on the 7th day of incubation. Though every culture media experimented with synthesized bio-cellulose, the maximum production (90.25 mg/mL) was reported in fruit waste media. The results also indicated that bio-cellulose has high water-holding capacity and moisture content. XRD results showed that bio-cellulose is highly crystalline in nature (54.825% crystallinity). SEM micrograph demonstrated that bio-cellulose exhibited rod-shaped, highly porous fibers. The FTIR results demonstrated characteristic and broad peaks for O-H at 3336.25 cm^-1, which indicated strong O-H bonding. The thermal tests, such as DSC and TGA, indicated that bio-cellulose is a thermally stable material that can withstand temperatures even beyond 500 °C.

The findings demonstrated that the peel of fruits could be utilized as a substrate for synthesizing bio-cellulose by a rather cheap and easily available strain, Komagataeibacter (Acetobacter aceti MTCC 3347). This alternative culture media reduces environmental pollution, promotes economic advantages, and initiates research on sustainable science.