Enhanced production of fibrous bacterial cellulose in Gluconacetobacter xylinus culture medium containing modified protein of okara waste.

In Gluconacetobacter xylinus cultivation for bacterial nanocellulose production, agro-industrial wastes, soybean residual okara, okara extracted protein, and modified okara protein, were used as a protein source. In comparison with homogenized raw okara and protein extracted from raw okara, acetic-acid modified protein provided the higher cellulose yield (2.8 g/l at 3 %w/v protein concentration) due to the improved protein solubility in the culture medium (89 %) and smaller particle size (0.2 μm) leading to facile uptake by the bacteria. Importantly, pH of the culture medium containing the modified protein measured before and after the cultivation was similar, suggesting the buffering capacity of the protein. Nanocellulose fibers were then produced densely in the network of hydrogels with high crystallinity nearly 90 %. Based on the results, economic constraints around nanocellulose production could be alleviated by valorization of okara waste, which provided enhanced sustainability.