Bacterial Cellulose and Its Applications

Abstract

The sharp increase in the use of cellulose seems to be in increasing demand in wood; much more research related to sustainable or alternative materials is necessary as a lot of the arable land and natural resources use is unsustainable. In accordance, attention has focused on bacterial cellulose as a new functional material. It possesses a three-dimensional, gelatinous structure consisting of cellulose with mechanical and thermal properties. Moreover, while a plant-originated cellulose is composed of cellulose, hemi-cellulose, and lignin, bacterial cellulose attributable to the composition of a pure cellulose nanofiber mesh spun is not necessary in the elimination of other components. Moreover, due to its hydrophilic nature caused by binding water, consequently being a hydrogel as well as biocompatibility, it has only not only used in medical fields including artificial skin, cartilage, vessel, and wound dressing, but also in delivery; some products have even been commercialized. In addition, it is widely used in various technologies including food, paper, textile, electronic and electrical applications, and is being considered as a highly versatile green material with tremendous potential. However, many efforts have been conducted for the evolution of novel and sophisticated materials with environmental affinity, which accompany the empowerment and enhancement of specific properties. In this review article, we summarized only industry and research status regarding BC and contemplated its potential in the use of BC.

Bacterial Cellulose-Based Polymer Nanocomposites: A Review

“…However, most of these materials have restrictions, for example, a lack of antibacterial activity and low mechanical properties [ 135 ]. Recently, several reviews on BC materials for biomedical applications have been reported [ 18 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 , 143 , 144 , 145 , 146 , 147 ], and a summary of various biomedical applications of BC and BC-based composites developed through different strategies is provided in Table 2 .…”

“…Recently, a series of commercial medical materials based on BC has been obtained such as Biofill ® (Curitiba, Brazil) and Bioprocess ® (Curitiba, Brazil) for the therapy of burns and ulcers, Gengiflex ® (Curitiba, Brazil) to treat periodontal diseases, Dermafill ® (Londrina, Brazil) for effective wound-healing burns and ulcers, Membracel ® (Curitiba, Brazil) for venous leg ulcers and lacerations, xCell ® (New York, NY, USA) to treat chronic wounds, EpiProtect ® (Royal Wootton Bassett, UK) for burn wounds, and Nanoskin ® (São Carlos, Brazil) (the antimicrobial BC product incorporated with silver ions) [ 20 , 193 ]. By the product form and a method of administration, wound dressings are divided into: films, hydrogels, sponges, foams, fiber scaffolds, bandages ( Figure 7 ) [ 185 ].…”

“…Due to its unique properties, BC is a promising material for industry and technology [ 18 ]. It has great potential to be used in medicine [ 4 , 19 , 20 , 21 , 22 ] as a biomaterial for tissue engineering [ 20 , 23 , 24 ], wound dressing [ 25 , 26 , 27 , 28 ] and drug delivery systems [ 5 , 29 , 30 , 31 , 32 ], it can be applied in electronics (sensors, energy storage devices, speakers, acoustic membranes) [ 33 ], the environmental industry (water purification, filtration and adsorption techniques) [ 34 , 35 ], and the food industry (artificial food, additives, food packaging [ 36 ]. The relatively large diversity of cellulose-producing microorganisms, as well as a wide variety of cultivation methods, creates an excellent opportunity to modify and adjust the properties of the material and find new areas of its application.…”

Substrates and Metabolic Pathways in Symbiotic Culture of Bacteria and Yeast (Scoby) Fermentation: A Mini Review

“…Since cellulosic is considered "generally recognized as safe" (GRAS) by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), it possess great potential in food products due to its various textures and easy production process, several recent food products are good to be kept in view, as cellulosic SCOBY can be applied food applications (Table 4). Food additive [66] Ice cream Thickener [67] Low-fat sausage Dietary food [68] The cellulosic SCOBY, which associated with bacterial cellulose fibrils secrete a unique hydrogellike substance with attributes that are being used in the numerous food industries. In spite of the interest shown in food applications, SCOBY can be a great potential as a sustainable substitute in fashion and automobile device industries.…”

Influence of Dielectric Barrier Discharge Cold Plasma Treatment on Starch, Gelatin, and Bacterial Cellulose Biodegradable Polymeric Films

“…Biomolecules such as starch, bacterial cellulose, and gelatin have been used to develop packaging materials [ 2 ]. These packaging materials are considered biodegradable, sustainable, and environmentally friendly [ 3 , 4 ]. However, some disadvantages must be overcome, such as their high hydrophilicity, low water vapor, gas, and light barrier, and low mechanical resistance [ 1 , 5 ].…”