Sustainable process for the production of cellulose by an Acetobacter pasteurianus RSV-4 (MTCC 25117) on whey medium

Bacterial cellulose has unique structural, functional, physical and chemical properties. The mass production of bacterial cellulose for industrial application has recently become more popular and attractive. The aim of this study was to develop an efficient scale-up process of bacterial cellulose production. Bacterial cellulose productivity of a new isolate Acetobacter pasteurianus RSV-4 (MTCC 25117) was investigated in whey medium without addition of any additives. Produced bacterial cellulose was characterized for its structure, purity, thermostability and strength by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis and Differential scanning calorimetry. β-galactosidase (1.5 IU/ml) was used to split whey lactose into its corresponding monomers glucose and galactose. Glucose was specifically consumed by Acetobacter pasteurianus for the production of BC. The highest concentration of 5.6 g cellulose/L of whey was obtained at 30 °C after 8 days of bacterial growth. Process was optimized for the production of bacterial cellulose on 120 L of whey medium under static conditions. Whey, a waste byproduct of milk processing industry was used in the process and therefore the developed process might be economical.