Bacterial Cellulose Production Using Monosaccharides Derived from Hemicelluloses in Water-Soluble Fraction of Waste Liquor from Atmospheric Acetic Acid Pulping

Summary

The water-soluble fraction (WS) from waste liquor of atmospheric acetic acid pulping was analyzed in order to explore its potential utilization as a carbon source for bacterial cellulose (BC) production. The unpurified WS that contained colored compounds had appreciable antibacterial activity and was therefore not used as a carbon source for BC production with the bacteria Acetobacter xylinum ATCC 10245 and 53582. However, the bacteria produced BC from purified WS of both fir and birch after activated carbon treatment. The yields of BC were much lower compared to those using glucose as a typical carbon source in the Hestrin-Schramm (HS) medium. In order to improve the cellulose production, monosaccharides derived from hemicellulose sugars in WS were modified. The WS from softwood was reduced by catalytic reduction, i.e. mannose, the major component of softwood monosaccharides derived from hemicelluloses, was converted to mannitol. In the case of hardwood WS, xylose was isomerized with glucose isomerase to xylulose. The yield of BC was considerably enhanced by both modifications of the WS. The yield of BC using the modified WS from the pulping of fir was superior to that using glucose as carbon source.