Production and Characterization of Bacterial Cellulose by Komagataeibacter hansenii UCP1619 Using the Fruit of Cereus jamacaru DC as an Alternative Medium

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a biopolymer characterized by high purity, biocompatibility, biodegradability, and porosity, making it suitable for several applications. However, approximately 30% of production costs are attributed to the standard Hestrin-Schramm (HS) medium, limiting its industrial use. This study addresses the high cost of BC production by Komagataeibacter hansenii introducing an innovation: the use of mandacaru fruit from the Brazilian Caatinga biome as a nutrient-rich, low-cost medium, achieving yields comparable to HS medium. The results were promising, highlighting a high water retention capacity (ca. 97%) and improved yield and productivity of the dry membrane for the P80 sample (11.10 ± 0.59 g L-1; 0.74 g L-1 day-1), followed by the HS sample (10.84 ± 0.82 g L-1; 0.72 g L-1 day-1). In terms of water vapor permeability, the P80 sample exhibited the lowest permeability coefficient (1.28 ± 0.11 × 10-10 g s-1 m-1 Pa-1), attributed to its high crystallinity index (78.05%). This contributed to greater thermal stability, as the reduced free volume in the macromolecular structures decreased the permeation rate. These findings suggest that BC produced using Cereus jamacaru DC fruit, without the need for additional nutrients, is a viable and cost-effective alternative for applications in industries such as food, packaging, and cosmetics.