Bacterial cellulose production from a single sugar α-linked glucuronic acid-based oligosaccharide

A single sugar α-linked glucuronic acid-based oligosaccharide (SSGO), which is a by-product produced during bacterial cellulose (BC) synthesis by Gluconacetobacter hansenii, was evaluated as an additive to synthetic medium during BC production. We assessed the ability of the SSGO to serve as an alternative carbon source to glucose for BC production. To improve the BC yield from glucose by G. hansenii PJK, SSGO was added to a chemically defined medium (CDM). In the presence of 1% SSGO, the amount of BC produced was 10.5 g/L after 10 days of cultivation, whereas in the absence of SSGO, only 7.4 g/L of BC was produced. These results indicate that SSGO can be used as an alternative carbon source for BC production. Moreover, the addition of SSGO to the CDM increased the diameter of the BC fibers, which improved its tensile strength and water release properties.