BACTERIAL NANOCELLULOSE FROM SUGARCANE BAGASSE: AN ECO-FRIENDLY ALTERNATIVE IN THE FOOD INDUSTRY

Bacterial nanocellulose membranes (NCB) have promising applications in the food industry, where they can be used as stabilizing agents, functional ingredients and sustainable packaging materials. The challenges of eco-friendly production have driven research and advances in obtaining NCB. In this context, the present study aimed to evaluate the production and characterization of NCB membranes, applying sugar cane bagasse hydrolyzed. The hydrolyzed was obtained after hydrothermal pretreatment of lignocellulosic biomass, followed by enzymatic hydrolysis for 72 hours to release fermentable sugars. The strain used was Gluconacetobacter Xylinus, cultivated in static medium for 8 days. Three kinetic tests were carried out over 10 days, comparing the media: synthetic (Hestrin and Schramm), sugarcane bagasse hydrolyzed and hydrolyzed supplemented with a nitrogen source. In all trials, maximum NBC production occurred on the eighth day. 2.01 g ± 0.11 of NCB was obtained in synthetic medium. When using only bagasse hydrolyzed, production increased to 2.93 g ± 0.47. The addition of a nitrogen source resulted in even greater production, reaching 4.92 g ± 0.98 of NCB. Characterization of NCBs by Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) revealed differences in structure. NCBs made from hydrolyzed bagasse and with a nitrogen source were composed of more intertwined fibers and with a greater number of open pores compared to those produced by synthetic means. Determination of water content showed that all NCBs had high water retention capacity, with an average of 98.96% ± 0.99. The rehydration capacity of NCBs in synthetic, hydrolyzed and hydrolyzed media with a nitrogen source were: 95% ± 0.95, 98% ± 0.98, and 97% ± 0.97 after 96 hours. This study highlighted the potential of sugarcane bagasse as a valuable lignocellulosic biomass for the production of bacterial nanocellulose.