Production, characterization and optimization of microbial cellulose using Kombucha Culture

In this study, microbial cellulose (MC) was produced using kombucha culture, a symbiotic consortium of microorganisms. The resulting biopolymer was characterized, and the production conditions were optimized. The kombucha culture was incubated in a sterilized tea and sucrose medium under static fermentation conditions for 14 days. At the end of the fermentation period, the cellulose pellicle formed on the surface was harvested, purified, and subjected to analytical evaluations. Various carbon sources (sucrose, glucose, mannitol) and pH levels (3.0, 4.0, 5.0, 6.0, 7.0) were tested to determine their effect on production efficiency. The highest yield was achieved at pH 5.0 and using sucrose as the carbon source. Characterization of the obtained microbial cellulose was performed using FTIR, SEM, XRD, DTA and TGA analyses. The results confirmed the structural integrity, crystallinity, and thermal stability of the cellulose samples. Overall, the findings demonstrate that kombucha culture is an effective biological agent for microbial cellulose production. Moreover, optimizing environmental conditions can significantly improve production efficiency. The obtained microbial cellulose possesses promising structural features for advanced biomaterial applications.