Enhanced production of bacterial cellulose by Komactobacter intermedius using statistical modeling

The extraordinary nature of the bacterial cellulose (BC) biopolymer gives it potential for diverse applications; however, the low BC yield of many indigenous cellulose-producing bacteria is a persistent problem in its synthesis. In this study, the BC yield of Komactobacter intermedius (BCRC 910677) was optimized by modifying culture media. The optimal culture period, type of carbon, and nitrogen sources were evaluated using the one-factor-at-a-time approach prior to the optimization study. The optimization was done by using the response surface methodology (RSM). In RSM optimization study, a Box–Behnken design with three parameters is applied; the three parameters include fructose concentrations (X₁), peptone concentrations (X₂), and pH values (X₃). Our optimal culture media combined 41 g/L of fructose, 38 g/L peptone, and a pH of 5.2. The predicted BC yield from the RSM model is 4.012 g/L, while BC yield of 3.906 g/L is obtained from the experiment using the optimized medium; that is only 2.64% difference. An increase in BC production of 3.82-fold (compared to the culture in HS medium) was obtained after 6-days culture. The K. intermedius investigated in this study show great potential for commercial BC productions and as feedstock. The RSM can be a promising approach to enhance BC yield since the parameters were well correlated.