Isolation and identification of biocellulose‐producing bacterial strains from Malaysian acidic fruits

Biocellulose (BC) is pure extracellular cellulose produced by several species of micro‐organisms that has numerous applications in the food, biomedical and paper industries. However, the existing biocellulose‐producing bacterial strain with high yield was limited. The aim of this study was to isolate and identify the potential biocellulose‐producing bacterial isolates from Malaysian acidic fruits. One hundred and ninety‐three bacterial isolates were obtained from 19 local acidic fruits collected in Malaysia and screened for their ability to produce BC. A total of 15 potential bacterial isolates were then cultured in standard Hestrin‐Schramm (HS) medium statically at 30°C for 2 weeks to determine the BC production. The most potent bacterial isolates were identified using 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, morphological and biochemical characteristics. Three new and potent biocellulose‐producing bacterial strains were isolated from soursop fruit and identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia WAUPM42, Pantoea vagans WAUPM45 and Beijerinckia fluminensis WAUPM53. Stenotrophomonas maltophilia WAUPM42 was the most potent biocellulose‐producing bacterial strain that produced the highest amount of BC 0·58 g l−1 in standard HS medium. Whereas, the isolates P. vagans WAUPM45 and B. fluminensis WAUPM53 showed 0·50 and 0·52 g l−1 of BC production, respectively. Significance and Impact of the Study Biocellulose (BC) is pure extracellular cellulose that is formed by many micro‐organisms in the presence of carbon source and acidic condition. It can replace plant‐based cellulose in multifarious applications due to its unique characteristics. In this study, three potential biocellulose‐producing bacterial strains were obtained from Malaysian acidic fruits and identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia WAUPM42, Pantoea vagans WAUPM45 and Beijerinckia fluminensis WAUPM53. This study reports for the first time the new biocellulose‐producing bacterial strains isolated from Malaysian acidic fruits. Significance and Impact of the Study: Biocellulose (BC) is pure extracellular cellulose that is formed by many micro‐organisms in the presence of carbon source and acidic condition. It can replace plant‐based cellulose in multifarious applications due to its unique characteristics. In this study, three potential biocellulose‐producing bacterial strains were obtained from Malaysian acidic fruits and identified as Stenotrophomonas maltophilia WAUPM42, Pantoea vagans WAUPM45 and Beijerinck