Microbial treatment for nanocellulose extraction from marine algae and its applications as sustainable functional material

With increasing environmental awareness among the masses, the demand for eco-friendly products in the market has increased significantly. The market demand and ecological concerns led researchers to develop an eco-friendly material based on biopolymers. Marine algae-derived nanocellulose has been known to be utilized as a functional material for a wide range of applications, such as packaging, environmental, and biomedical applications. Many studies have revealed that the extraction of nanocellulose from algae biomass can be achieved using microbial, chemical, mechanical, or hybrid methods. Microbial treatment via enzymatic hydrolysis uses an enzyme, namely cellulase. Cellulase can be produced by micro-organisms like bacteria, yeast, and fungi to increase production by cutting down on operating costs as they are cheaply available. Recent work regarding various aspects of microbial nanocellulose production has been discussed. This review also highlights the utilization of macroalgae as sustainable, functional materials in a wide range of applications. © 2018