Physicochemical properties of bacterial cellulose obtained from different Kombucha fermentation conditions

Abstract

The production of bacterial cellulose has been limited due to its high cost and low productivity. Alternative low-cost sources of this biopolymer of high purity and biocompatibility are needed in order to benefit from its enormous potential. Kombucha tea is a trend functional beverage whose production is growing exponentially worldwide, and the bacteria present in this fermented beverage belonging to the genus Komagataeibacter are capable of producing a crystalline biofilm with interesting properties. Obtaining bacterial cellulose from Kombucha tea has already been studied, however several fermentation conditions are being optimized in order to scale-up its production. In this study, we characterized the bacterial cellulose produced from three different Kombucha fermentation conditions. The scanning electron microscopy images revealed the crystalline structure of the biofilms. The energy-dispersive x-ray analysis exhibited the chemical composition of the crystals. The thermogravimetric analysis showed a rate of degradation between 490 and 560 C and the differential scanning calorimetry confirmed the presence of crystalline and amorphous regions in the bacterial cellulose samples. The results suggested that crystalline cellulose could be obtained by varying the fermentation conditions of Kombucha tea.

Reconstruction of Simplified Microbial Consortia to Modulate Sensory Quality of Kombucha Tea

“…The pH was measured throughout the fermentation process with the pH-meter Crison Basic 20 (Hach-Lange, Barcelona, Spain). In samples inoculated with N. hansenii T7SS-4G1, cellulosic matrix production was quantified at the end of fermentation by weighting the samples after water removal at 60 • C for 3 days [29].…”

Development of novel biocomposites based on the clean production of microbial cellulose from dairy waste (sour whey)

“…This is attributed to its excellent biocompatibility, environmental friendliness, no toxicity, thermal stability, and high‐mechanical properties (Young modulus; 15–20 GPa, tensile strength; 200–300 MPa) 12–15 . In addition, BC is abundant and widely produced from the fermentation of countless by‐products of dairy foods and agroforestry processings 16–22 . This makes BC cost‐effective and sustainable with readily available raw material sources for production as compared to cellulose obtained from plants that causes hazards to the environment via deforestation.…”

“…Several studies have been explored for the production of BC using nutrient solutions of kombucha beverage through short‐term fermentation of sugar and tea both at home kitchen conditions as well as at research laboratories using kits or equipments 10,17,23–25 . These produced BC types are currently known as kombucha‐derived bacterial cellulose (KBC) with very close physicochemical and mechanical properties to BC obtained from standard Hestrin and Schramm (HS) medium 26 as well as other nutrient mediums 10,19,21,25 .…”

“…Herein, DoE was applied to optimize the biosynthesis of KBC from dairy industrial wastes. As such, sour whey and black tea were used in the present study as alternatives to expensive components such as yeast extract and peptone to provide nitrogen and some enhancers (albumins, globulins, vitamins, amino acids, and organic acids) for bacterial cell‐respiration 17,20,24,25,36,37,42,50 . Normally, KBC membranes are formed as gel‐like three‐dimensional materials at the top surface of the culture medium under static conditions, 17,23,25,51 and as such different factors including amount of sour whey, cane sugar content, black tea, bacteria volume, and number of culture days are investigated to determine the optimum conditions.…”

“…As such, sour whey and black tea were used in the present study as alternatives to expensive components such as yeast extract and peptone to provide nitrogen and some enhancers (albumins, globulins, vitamins, amino acids, and organic acids) for bacterial cell‐respiration 17,20,24,25,36,37,42,50 . Normally, KBC membranes are formed as gel‐like three‐dimensional materials at the top surface of the culture medium under static conditions, 17,23,25,51 and as such different factors including amount of sour whey, cane sugar content, black tea, bacteria volume, and number of culture days are investigated to determine the optimum conditions. In addition, a determinant experiment based on efficiency of cultured medium depth for fermentation in large scale was evaluated to minimize the amount of residual suspension since it presents itself as the only source of emissions during KBC production.…”