African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 4 (6), pp. 478-482, June 2005          
ISSN 1684–5315 © 2005 Academic Journals

Full Length Research Paper

Evaluation of different carbon sources for bacterial cellulose production

Sherif M.A.S. Keshk^1* and Kazuhiko Sameshima²

¹Ain-Shams University, Institute of Environmental Studies and Research, Basic Science Department, Abbassia, Cairo11566, EGYPT.

²Kochi University, Faculty of Agriculture, Department of Forest Science, Nankoku, Kochi 783-8502, JAPAN.

*Corresponding Author E-mail: sherifkeshk@yahoo.com.

Accepted 22 March, 2005

The production of bacterial cellulose (BC) using Gluconacetobacter xylinus (=Acetobacter xylinum) ATCC 10245 from three categories of carbon sources (Monosaccharide, disaccharide and alcohol) was examined. Glycerol gave the highest yield, followed by glucose, fructose, inositol and saccharose. The highest production efficiency of glycerol might be due to the rate of its consumption (45.4%), which is lower than that of glucose (97%). These results showed that the pH is not the only factor that affects the efficiency of BC production. The rate of consumption of carbon sources in the medium might play another important factor. From X-ray diffractometer, the crystalinity index of bacteria cellulose produce in presence of glucose and fructose have the highest values than those from other carbon sources.

Key word: Bacterial cellulose, Gluconacetobacter xylinus, Hestrin-Schramm’s medium, crystallinity index.