Biotechnological Production of Cellulose by Gluconacetobacter xylinus from Agricultural Waste

The purpose of this study was utilization of low quality date syrup as a rich and available source of nutrient in Iran for production of bacterial cellulose by Gluconacetobacter xylinus. In this study, static batch fermentation for bacterial cellulose production was studied in low quality date syrup and sucrose solution (Bx. 10%) at 28 °C using G. xylinus (PTCC, 1734). The yield of bacterial cellulose production at different fermentation times was investigated. The results showed that the maximum yield of bacterial cellulose were 4.35 and 1.69 g/100 ml for date syrup and sucrose media after 336 hours fermentation period, respectively. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) used to determine the functional groups of the samples. Comparison of FT-IR spectrum of commercial plant cellulose as a standard with the bacterial cellulose indicated appropriate coincidence which proved that the component produced by G. xylinus was cellulose. To determine the physical structure of the bacterial cellulose and standard cellulose fibers, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) was carried out in 1k magnification. The results obviously indicated more delicacy of bacterial cellulose fibers relative to that for standard cellulose. Determination of the area under x-ray diffractometry patterns demonstrated that the crystallinity amount of cellulose (83.61%) was more than that for the BC (60.73%).