Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a versatile biopolymer of considerable biotechnological interest, with wide-ranging applications in biomedical, industrial, and engineering fields attributable to its exceptional structural and physicochemical properties. Despite its promise, the high cost of conventional production media and the challenge of tailoring BC structural characteristics remain critical bottlenecks limiting sustainable large-scale manufacturing. In the present study, a novel fermentation medium based on Glutamicibacter soli bread waste hydrolysate (BWH) was developed and statistically optimized for high-yield BC production by Komagataeibacter sp. strain HIJ12 EMCCN-4085, integrating circular bioeconomy principles through food waste valorization. One-variable-at-a-time (OVAT) screening identified glycerol and ethanol supplementation, incubation at 28 °C, pH 5.5, a 2-day-old inoculum, and an aeration ratio of zbroth: flask volume) as the key determinants governing BC biosynthesis. Subsequent Box–Behnken design-based Response Surface Methodology, supported by canonical and ridge analyses, refined glycerol concentration, inoculum size, and incubation time, yielding an exceptional BC dry weight of 39 g L−1 within 5.8 days, substantially surpassing most reported waste-based BC systems that typically achieve 4–15 g L−1 over longer fermentation periods. Structural characterization demonstrated that hydrolysate-based BC possessed a distinctively large pore size, enhanced porosity (41 ± 1.2%), and reduced crystallinity relative to conventional Hestrin–Schramm-based BC, while fully preserving the characteristic cellulose chemical structure, properties particularly advantageous for drug delivery, wound healing, and filtration applications. Collectively, these findings establish G. soli BWH as a high-performance, sustainable fermentation substrate that simultaneously enhances BC productivity and tailors material properties, offering a compelling strategy for converting food waste into high-value biomaterials. G. soli bread waste hydrolysate established as a biocircular BC production substrate. Box–Behnken RSM with ridge analysis achieved exceptional BC yield of 39 g L−1. Optimized yield represents a 10-fold enhancement over the unoptimized baseline. BC production achieved within 5.8 days, outperforming conventional HS medium. Hydrolysate-based BC exhibited larger pore size and enhanced porosity (41%). Reduced crystallinity (54%) preserved cellulose I structure for biomedical applications. G. soli bread waste hydrolysate established as a biocircular BC production substrate. Box–Behnken RSM with ridge analysis achieved exceptional BC yield of 39 g L−1. Optimized yield represents a 10-fold enhancement over the unoptimized baseline. BC production achieved within 5.8 days, outperforming conventional HS medium. Hydrolysate-based BC exhibited larger pore size and enhanced porosity (41%). Reduced crystallinity (54%) preserved cellulose I structure for biomedical applications.
Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a highly pure biomaterial that can be produced from agro-industrial residues, making it a sustainable candidate for tissue engineering applications such as biocompatible hydrogel. However, pure BC is rigid and brittle, which limits its clinical handling. This study aimed to synthesise BC membranes from the non-photosynthetic bacterium Komagataeibacter nataicola (TISTR 975) using mature coconut water as the primary fermentation medium, and to improve its mechanical properties by forming an in situ composite hydrogel with polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA). Sucrose concentration and cultivation period were systematically varied and analysed using response surface methodology (RSM), which identified the optimal condition as a 7-day cultivation at 50 g/L sucrose, yielding a highly uniform membrane with the best structural integrity. In situ fabrication of the BC/PHA composite, achieved by dispersing PHA powder in the culture medium during synthesis, markedly enhanced the material’s flexibility and water-holding capacity. The elongation at break increased from 22.9% for pure BC to 28.2% for the composite, with only a slight reduction in ultimate tensile strength. A cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment (LCA) showed that the BC/PHA membrane had a global warming potential approximately 3.2 times lower than that of bovine collagen membranes, while the incorporation of PHA introduced a negligible additional environmental burden. These findings indicate that the locally producible and biodegradable BC/PHA composite hydrogel offers a favourable balance between mechanical performance, water-holding capacity, and environmental sustainability, positioning it as a promising candidate for the future development of guided tissue regeneration (GTR) gel membranes in dentistry.
Microbial polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) have drawn increasing attention as sustainable alternatives to conventional plastics. However, PHA market growth remains limited because of their elevated production costs. To address this challenge, this study investigated the valorization of food waste as a low-cost feedstock and the combination of yeast extract and nitrogen-rich waste as a co-nitrogen source for sustainable poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) (PHB) production by extremely halophilic archaeon Haloarcula sp. PLQ. Implementation of this strategy resulted in the production of 1.099 ± 0.205 g L-1 of biomass with a PHB concentration of 0.634 ± 0.0063 g L-1, corresponding to a gravimetric PHB content of approximately 60 ± 11.755% of its cell dry weight (CDW). However, the strain achieved a lower PHB content as determined by gas chromatography analysis (GC) of approximately 27.87 ± 0.067% of its CDW, which may be related to the co-extraction of non-PHB cellular components during gravimetric determination. Regarding the characterization of PHB film, the SEM-EDS analysis revealed a porous and heterogeneous surface morphology that was composed of approximately 56.38 wt% carbon and 35.27 wt% oxygen with minor amounts of sodium, chlorine, and magnesium. Regarding FTIR and Raman spectroscopy analyses, the functional groups were found to be similar to those of commercial PHB. The XRD pattern was also similar to that of pure PHB. TGA and DSC results confirmed that the film is a semi-crystalline polymer-based material, with a degree of crystallinity of 61.3%, as determined from the first DSC heating scan. The melting point and the maximum degradation temperature of PHB were found to be 157.3 and 293.35 °C, respectively. This present study demonstrates the potential of the haloarchaeal strain for converting carbon- and nitrogen-rich waste streams into biodegradable PHB, aligning with circular bioeconomy principles.
Manel Ben Abdallah, K. K. Sadasivuni, M. Cherif et al.· Journal of Environmental Man...· 0 citations
The symbiotic culture of bacteria and yeast (SCOBY) driving kombucha tea fermentation produces a cellulose pellicle with remarkable promise for biomedical applications. Unlike well-studied bacterial cellulose (BC), which is produced by single-strain cultures, the underexplored kombucha-derived bacterial cellulose (KBC) can be produced from agro-industrial waste streams and at low capital cost. This review provides an overview of the great potential of KBC for biomedical applications. First, discussions on the cooperative interactions between bacterial and yeast species within the SCOBY consortium that drive the self-assembled production of cellulose at an air-liquid interface are provided. This is followed by an examination of the influence of carbon source, fermentation conditions, and post-processing on KBC yield, crystallinity, porosity, mechanical properties, and water retention. Physical and chemical modification strategies used to tune KBC behavior are then summarized, including silver (Ag) and gold (Au) functionalization, diisocyanate crosslinking, and incorporation as a nanofiller in biodegradable polymer composites. The applications section focuses on wound dressings and antimicrobial platforms, followed by tissue engineering scaffolds suitable for 3D printing and KBC’s role as a drug delivery vehicle. The main barriers to clinical translation are discussed, including limitations in reproducibility linked to undefined SCOBY composition, limited long-term in vivo studies, and the absence of a clear regulatory pathway for functionalized KBC and composites.
Magdalena Bartolewska, Alicja Kosik-Kozioł, Zuzanna J. Krysiak et al.· ACS Applied Engineering Mate...· 0 citations
Natural microbial communities in cassava peel (CP), sugarcane waste (SW), and poultry manure (PM) are often inadequate to sustain stable anaerobic digestion (AD) for efficient biogas production. This study employed bioaugmentation with Clostridium welchii to improve process stability and biogas production, thereby promoting the valorization of organic wastes generated in Shinko, Adamawa State. CP, SW, and PM were codigested at a 5:4:1 ratio under three conditions: a non-bioaugmented control (X) and two bioaugmented setups (Y and Z) containing 200 and 300 mL of Clostridium welchii, respectively. Biogas production over a 40-day digestion period was fitted to the Modified Gompertz, Cone, Fitzhugh, and Logistic kinetic models to estimate kinetic parameters. Model performance across the three bioreactor setups was evaluated using 29 statistical metrics. The maximum experimental biogas yields at day 40 were 1.19, 2.13, and 1.85 m3/kg for X, Y, and Z, respectively, with predicted values showing close agreement. Among all models, the Modified Gompertz model for setup Y demonstrated the best overall performance, combining the highest biogas yield, the fastest production rate (k), favorable shape factor (n), a short lag phase, and excellent statistical agreement (R2 > 0.9992). Bioaugmentation with 200 mL of Clostridium welchii proved the most efficient and stable strategy for codigesting CP, SW, and PM based on all 29 statistical criteria. Overall model performance ranked as Modified Gompertz > Cone > Logistic > Fitzhugh. Moderate bioaugmentation optimized microbial activity, shortened the lag phase, increased biogas production rates, and strengthened the predictive accuracy of the kinetic models.
Y. Luka, A. Abubakar, H. A. Saddiq et al.· Scientific Journal of Engine...· 0 citations