The Influence of Culture Medium Components on the Physical and Mechanical Properties of Cellulose Synthesized by Kombucha Microorganisms

Preliminary studies are presented showing to what extent nutrients available in the growth environment of Kombucha microorganisms affect the physical and mechanical properties of synthesized cellulose. With an increase in the amount of sucrose in the growth medium and with the presence of additional nutrients, peptone and tea extract, the thickness and strength of the biopolymer increased, while elongation was reduced. The best physical and mechanical parameters were obtained for bacterial cellulose from cultures with the addition of 10% sucrose and 0.25% peptone content. The increase in elongation correlated with the decrease in the degree of polymerization, which means that in media rich in nutrients, the number of molecules building the polymer decreases. The presented data is important in order to select ingredients that will help synthesize bacterial cellulose with the desired physio-mechanical properties.