Mixed hexose and pentose sugars induce species-variable bacterial cellulose production by Komagataeibacter spp.

Low-cost substrates and agricultural wastes for bacterial cellulose (BC) production have gained significant attention in recent years because of their potential to increase yield and reduce production costs. Diverse bacterial species exhibit heterogeneous metabolic profiles and substrate utilization patterns during BC biosynthesis when cultivated on these substrates. The aim of this study was to mimic the hexose and pentose composition of low-cost substrates to increase the BC yield. This study investigated the substrate utilization patterns of two Komagataeibacter species during BC production on mixed carbon substrates. Both strains used in this study utilized mixed hexose and pentose sugars as carbon sources for BC production, with varying consumption patterns and BC yields. Komagataeibacter sp. CCUG73629 efficiently utilized multiple sugars, with the highest BC yield recorded in the glucose-cellobiose medium (M4). The highest BC yield of Komagataeibacter sp. CCUG73630 was recorded in medium containing glucose as the sole carbon source. The BC produced had functional groups associated with cellulose, well-defined diffraction peaks, and densely interwoven fiber structures. The maximum degree of crystallinity (67.5%) was recorded for BC produced by Komagataeibacter sp. CCUG73630 in a glucose-arabinose-xylose medium (M1). Owing to their unique metabolic profiles, each Komagataeibacter species demonstrates different substrate utilization patterns. This study revealed the complexity, variation, unique metabolism, and strain-specific nature of bacterial BC production using mixed hexose and pentose sugars as carbon sources. Thus, this study contributes to the development of efficient and economical methods for producing BC from alternative substrates.