Abstract
In the present investigation, a low-cost medium prepared from molasses and corn steep liquor was used for the bacterial cellulose production by using an isolated bacterial strain. This bacterium, identified as Gluconacetobacter xylinus C18, was isolated from Indian fruit waste (rotten grapes). The process of cellulose production from the isolated bacterial strain was optimized using response surface methodology based on the central composite rotatable design. The optimum parameters for maximum bacterial cellulose production (4.34 g/L) obtained were sugarcane molasses concentration 10.77% (w/v) supplemented with 12.47% (v/v) corn steep liquor concentration at 31 °C, pH 6.5, and incubation time of 172 h. The structure of cellulose was characterized and confirmed by using SEM and FT-IR spectroscopy.