Production of bacterial cellulose using a symbiotic consortium of bacteria and yeast on soybean molasses medium

Bacterial cellulose is a highly sought-after alternative extracellular polysaccharide. This study aimed to investigate the synthesis of bacterial cellulose from soybean molasses using a SCOBY Medusomyces gisevii. Not only this consortium, but also the acetic acid and lactic acid microorganisms Komagataeibacter sucrofermentans, Latilactobacillus sakei, Lacticaseibacillus paracasei, Streptococcus thermophilus, and Pachysolen tannophilus. The yield, moisture holding capacity of bacterial cellulose, crystallinity index and the proportion of allomorph Iꞵ in bacterial cellulose were evaluated. Changes in monosaccharide composition and organic acid content during cultivation were studied. The maximum yield of bacterial cellulose was achieved using the modified SCOBY consortium of M. gisevii. The addition of molasses to the cultivation medium of the SCOBY M. gisevii consortium increased the bacterial cellulose yield by 58%. FTIR analysis of the obtained bacterial cellulose showed that the absorption bands of functional groups correspond to crystalline cellulose I and II. The results will lead to a less expensive bacterial cellulose production technology.