Alternative production of bacterial cellulose by Komagataeibacter hansenii and microbial consortium

Abstract

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a biopolymer produced by several microorganisms and has attracted attention due to its unique characteristics, replacing cellulose extracted from nature. This work aimed to compare different BC production methods and the possible interference of these methods on the characteristics of the BC produced, seeking low-cost and large-scale production. BC membranes were produced by K. hansenii and a microbial consortium using different culture media. Rehydration percentage, water-holding capacity, TGA, and FTIR characterized the membranes. The production from the microbial consortium was highlighted for having a higher dry mass yield (0.289 ± 0.199 g), more than triple the amount produced by pure strain. Both samples showed similar chemical structures, as pointed out by FTIR. However, the BC produced by the microbial consortium showed superior thermal stability (357 °C). Moreover, using the microbial consortium, it was possible to obtain BC with a reduction in production cost of 92%.

Keywords:
bacterial cellulose; kombucha microbial consortium; Komagataeibacter hansenii