Bacterial Cellulose Production by Komagataeibacter xylinus Using Rice-washed Water and Tofu Processing Wastewater with the Addition of Sodium Glutamate

Abstract

Various industrial and agricultural waste have been using for bacterial cellulose (BC) production. This study aims to apply the rice-washed water and tofu processing wastewater as a growth medium to synthesize BC replacing Hestrin-Schramm (HS) medium by Komagataeibacter xylinus with the addition of sodium glutamate. The fermentation was carried out under static conditions for 5, 10, and 15 days at room temperature. The characteristics of BC were analyzed by SEM, XRD, and UTM for mechanical properties, whereas the yield was calculated from the dry weight. SEM images confirmed the formation of dense rod-shaped nanofibers configuration, and X-ray diffraction analysis revealed that BC had a typical crystalline form of the cellulose Iα. The yield from rice-washed water (RW) and tofu processing wastewater (TW) was slightly higher than from the HS medium. The highest yield of BC from RW, TW, and HS medium on the day 15 was 2.63 g/l, 3.80 g/l, and 2.55 g/l, respectively. Therefore, rice-washed water and tofu processing wastewater can use as a replacement for the role of Hestrin-Schraam (HS) medium. The yield increased when the medium was enriched with 1 % (w/v) sodium glutamate, became 4.47 g/l, 4.63 g/l, and 3.37 g/l for RW, TW, and HS, correspondingly. However, the addition of sodium glutamate lowered the tensile strength, Young’s modulus, and crystallinity. Both liquid wastewaters are considered as low-cost and sustainable alternative resources for BC production.