Isolation and Characterization of Cellulose Producing Bacterial Strain from Orange Pulp

Cellulose producing bacterial strain was isolated from orange pulp. The isolated strain was identified to be Gluconoacetobacter intermedius NT based on several morphological characteristics, biochemical tests and 16S r-DNA analysis. Bacterial cellulose production by the isolated bacterial strain was maximum in Hestrin and Schramm (HS) and modified HS media (8.5 and 10 g /L, respectively) following cultivation under static conditions for 10 days. Modified HS medium containing 40 ml/L of heat pre-treated molasses as the sole source of carbon facilitated significant production of cellulose (3.5 g/L) by the bacterial isolate. Utilization of molasses as the carbon source for the production of bacterial cellulose would have an advantage over pure sugars from the commercial point of view.