In Vivo Modification of Microporous Structure in Bacterial Cellulose by Exposing Komagataeibacter xylinus Culture to Physical and Chemical Stimuli

Bacterial cellulose (BC) samples were obtained in a static culture of K. xylinus under the effect of a low-intensity magnetic field, UV light, NaCl, and chloramphenicol. The effect of such stimuli on the amount of BC produced and its production rate, specific area, pore volume, and pore diameter were evaluated. The polysaccharide production was enhanced 2.28-fold by exposing K. xylinus culture to UV light (366 nm) and 1.7-fold by adding chloramphenicol (0.25 mM) to the medium in comparison to BC control. All the stimuli triggered a decrease in the rate of BC biosynthesis. BC membranes were found to be mesoporous materials with an average pore diameter from 21.37 to 25.73 nm. BC produced under a magnetic field showed the lowest values of specific area and pore volume (2.55 m2 g−1 and 0.024 cm3 g−1), while the BC synthesized in the presence of NaCl showed the highest (15.72 m2 g−1 and 0.11 cm3 g−1). FTIR spectra of the BC samples also demonstrated changes related to structural order. The rehydration property in these BC samples is not mainly mediated by the crystallinity level or porosity. In summary, these results support that BC production, surface, and structural properties could be modified by manipulating the physical and chemical stimuli investigated.