Crystallinity Of Bacterial Cellulose Research Articles

Bacterial cellulose produced by Medusomyces gisevii on glucose and sucrose: biosynthesis and structural properties

In this work, the effects of carbon sources and culture media on the production and structural properties of bacterial cellulose (BC) synthesized by Medusomyces gisevii have been studied. The culture medium was composed of different initial concentrations of glucose or sucrose dissolved in 0.4% extract of plain green tea. Parameters of the culture media (titratable acidity, substrate conversion degree etc.) were monitored daily for 20 days of cultivation. The BC pellicles produced on different carbon sources were characterized in terms of biomass yield, crystallinity and morphology by field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), atomic force microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Our results showed that Medusomyces gisevii had higher BC yields in media with sugar concentrations close to 10 g L−1 after a 18–20 days incubation period. Glucose in general lead to a higher BC yield (173 g L−1) compared to sucrose (163.5 g L−1). The BC crystallinity degree and surface roughness were higher in the samples synthetized from sucrose. Obtained FE-SEM micrographs show that the BC pellicles synthesized in the sucrose media contained densely packed tangles of cellulose fibrils whereas the BC produced in the glucose media displayed rather linear geometry of the BC fibrils without noticeable aggregates.

Impact of Fermentation Conditions and Purification Strategy on Bacterial Cellulose Properties

Bacterial cellulose (BC) has attracted much research interest, delivering a combination of exclusive properties, such as flexibility, hydrophilicity, crystallinity and a three-dimensional network. In this study, the effects of carbon source and cultivation conditions on BC production by the bacterium Acetobacter xylinum subsp. sucrofermentans DSM 15973 were assessed. Fructose was the most suitable carbon source and high BC concentrations up to 31 g l–1 were achieved in substrates with 60 g l–1 fructose under static culture conditions. Notably, BC production was equally high under the same fermentation conditions in agitated cultures (~30 g l–1). Moreover, the effectiveness of sodium hydroxide and sodium hypochlorite solutions in BC purification and their potential impact on BC structure and properties were explored. The combination of weak NaOH and NaOCl proved an effective purification method, preserving the fibre structure and crystallinity of BC.

EVALUATION OF THE CRYSTALLINITY OF BACTERIAL CELLULOSE PRODUCED FROM PINEAPPLE WASTE SOLUTION BY USING ACETOBACTER XYLINUM

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a fermentative product of Acetobacter xylinum characterized by high purity and crystallinity of up to 80%. Due to its excellent physical and mechanical properties, bacterial cellulose is increasingly interested in research, especially in the study of applying BC in different fields. Although it is a potential direction, the large-scale production of BC still has certain limitations, mainly the fermentation medium's high cost. Therefore, this study used pineapple waste as a carbon source for BC fermentation. After investigating the influence of fermentation factors on BC yield, this study focused on evaluating the crystallinity of BC under different fermentation conditions. The X-ray diffraction technique was used to determine the crystallinity, while Scanning Electron Microscopy was used to assess the differentiation of the BC structure. The study results showed that, at different fermentation conditions of temperature (25–35°C), time (5–10 days), and bacterial concentration (5–15%), the bacterial cellulose crystallinity was significantly different and in the range of 40.6 % to 83.4 %. The optimum crystallinity of BC was recorded when the experiment was set up at the fermentation temperature of 30°C, 13 days of fermentation time, and bacterial concentration of 14%, with the BC crystallinity being 82.2%.

Production of Bacterial Cellulose in the Medium with Yeasts Pre-Fermented Coconut Water or with Addition of Selected Amino Acids.

The uncontrolled natural pre-fermentation process of coconut water represents great hidden safety hazards, unstable production, and impact on the quality of nata de coco-the trade name of bacterial cellulose (BC) in food industry. In this study, BC production from Komagataeibacter nataicola Q2 was conducted in the media of coconut water (50%, v/v) pre-fermented by 11 coconut-sourced yeast strains in static. Results suggested that coconut water pre-fermented by different yeast strains had varied effects on the production of BC. Compared with the use of fresh coconut water, the use of coconut water pre-fermented by Saccharomyces cerevisiae SC7 increased the BC yield by 165%. Both natural pre-fermentation and SC7 pre-fermentation altered the concentrations of amino acids in fresh coconut water. The addition of selected amino acids aspartic acid, glutamic acid, serine, methionine, threonine, isoleucine, phenylalanine, and proline at different concentrations had varied effects on the production of BC. The yield of BC was the highest when adding 3.0% (w/v) methionine. Moreover, adding 3.0% methionine allowed the production of BC with larger loops of looser aggregated microfibers, increased the crystallinity of BC from 64.8% to 69.4%, but decreased the temperature of maximum weight loss rate, hardness, and adhesiveness from 223 °C, 8.68 kg, and 92.8 g.sec to 212 °C, 7.01 kg, and 58.5 g.sec, respectively, in the test condition.

Hemicellulose-bacterial cellulose ribbon interactions affect the anisotropic mechanical behaviour of bacterial cellulose hydrogels

The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of hemicellulose-cellulose interactions on the anisotropic structure of the bacterial cellulose (BC) ribbon network. BC-arabinoxylan (BC-AX) and BC-mixed linkage glucan (BC-MLG) composites were prepared. The mechanical/rheological behaviour was evaluated by compression combined with small amplitude oscillatory shear (SAOS) and stress-relaxation tests. Microscopy revealed that the BC ribbons tended to orient parallel to the liquid/air interface. AX and MLG gathered on the surface of cellulose ribbons but had limited influence on the crystallinity of BC. BC hydrogels showed direction-dependent mechanical properties in compression and stress-relaxation tests. The peak compressive modulus of the tangential BC sample (compressed towards the side of the sample) was over 1000 kPa, whereas for the normal sample (compressed towards the top of sample) the value was only 280 kPa. The relaxation ability of the tangential sample was 48% lower than the normal sample at 1% compression ratio. AX and MLG reduced the anisotropic behaviour of the native BC in normal/tangential compression and stress-relaxation tests, especially in the highly-compressed composites. However, the rheological behaviour of BC and the composites was comparatively isotropic in SAOS. This study is beneficial for further understanding of the contribution of hemicelluloses to the mechanical properties of BC hydrogels, and may promote the application of BC-based materials in food and medical industries.

Solar radiation-induced synthesis of bacterial cellulose/silver nanoparticles (BC/AgNPs) composite using BC as reducing and capping agent.

In the present work, a simple, novel, and ecofriendly method for synthesis of silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) and BC/AgNP composite using bacterial cellulose (BC) nanofibers soaked in AgNO3 solution under induction action of solar radiation. The photochemical reduction of silver Ag + ions into silver nanoparticles (Ago) was confirmed using UV visible spectra; the surface plasmon resonance of synthesized AgNPs was localized around 425nm. The mean diameter of AgNPs obtained by DLS analysis was 52.0nm with a zeta potential value of -9.98mV. TEM images showed a spherical shape of AgNPs. The formation of BC/AgNP composite was confirmed by FESEM, EDX, FTIR, and XRD analysis. FESEM images for BC showed the 3D structures of BC nanofibers and the deposited AgNPs in the BC crystalline nanofibers. XRD measurements revealed the high crystallinity of BC and BC/AgNP composite with crystal sizes of 5.13 and 5.6nm, respectively. BC/AgNP composite and AgNPs exhibited strong antibacterial activity against both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria. The present work introduces a facile green approach for BC/AgNP composite synthesis and its utility as potential food packaging and wound dressings, as well as sunlight indicator application.

Control of Spontaneous Mutation of Komagataeibacter xylinus by Agar

This paper studied the effects of agar on spontaneous mutation of Komagataeibacter xylinus,bacterial cellulose(BC)productivity and BC structure in static and shaken-flask culture. The rate of mutation was measured by plate counting. BC productivity,crystallinity,and polymerization of degree were determined by weighing method,Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR)and viscosity method,respectively. Meanwhile,the cellulase activity was assayed by spectrophotometry. The results showed that there were mutants in both static and shaken cultures and the yield of BC was 0.16 and 0.09 g/L,respectively. No mutant strain was found in the static culture with 0.05% agar and in the shaken culture with 0.10% agar. BC yield increased to 0.38 and 0.34 g/L,respectively. No mutants were detected in nine times of transfer passages of the static culture with 0.05% agar. However,the mutants appeared in the second transfer passage of shaken culture with 0.10% agar. Compared with that of BC in the static culture,0.05% agar added into static culture decreased the degree of polymerization and crystallinity of BC by 4.0% and 12.9%,respectively.0.10% agar in shaken culture decreased the crystallinity of BC by 51.2%.Although the activity of cellulase was not affected by culture method and agar,BC with lower crystallinity in the shaken culture with 0.10% agar was more hydrolyzed by the cellulase,resulting that the degree of polymerization of BC decreased by 42.2%.

Bacterial cellulose modification using static magnetic field

Bacterial cellulose (BC) has known as a cellulose material produced by bacteria, which is characterized by its purity, high porosity and randomly cellulose fibrils network arrangement. Static magnetic field (SMF) is a promising method, which can be used to modify the structure of BC. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of an SMF on the morphology and the physical and chemical properties of BC by varying the intensity of the SMF (45 mT, 110 mT and 140 mT) through the culture medium. The results showed that the SMF did not disturb the cellulose production yield of the BC. Changes between SMF-modified and conventional BC were shown on the side-section perpendicular and parallel to SMF. The porous structure of SMF-modified BC recorded under Scanning Electron Microscopy was more aligned. The changes of cellulose fibrils arrangement and porous structure resulted in the increase of mechanical property of the SMF modified BC. Feature characteristic of high porosity and crystallinity of BC maintained under an SMF. This study suggested a novel method to modify BC by the use of an SMF.

Tailoring bacterial cellulose structure through CRISPR interference-mediated downregulation of galU in Komagataeibacter xylinus CGMCC 2955.

Diverse applications of bacterial cellulose (BC) have different requirements in terms of its structural characteristics. culturing Komagataeibacter xylinus CGMCC 2955, BC structure changes with alterations in oxygen tension. Here, the K. xylinus CGMCC 2955 transcriptome was analyzed under different oxygen tensions. Transcriptome and genome analysis indicated that BC structure is related to the rate of BC synthesis and cell growth, and galU is an essential gene that controls the carbon metabolic flux between the BC synthesis pathway and the pentose phosphate (PP) pathway. The CRISPR interference (CRISPRi) system was utilized in K. xylinus CGMCC 2955 to control the expression levels of galU. By overexpressing galU and interfering with different sites of galU sequences using CRISPRi, we obtained strains with varying expression levels of galU (3.20-3014.84%). By testing the characteristics of BC, we found that the porosity of BC (range: 62.99-90.66%) was negative with galU expression levels. However, the crystallinity of BC (range: 56.25-85.99%) was positive with galU expression levels; galU expression levels in engineered strains were lower than those in the control strains. Herein, we propose a new method for regulating the structure of BC to provide a theoretical basis for its application in different fields.

Optimization of bacterial cellulose production by Komagataeibacter xylinus PTCC 1734 in a low-cost medium using optimal combined design.

This study was aimed to optimize the production of bacterial cellulose (BC) by Komagataeibacter xylinus PTCC 1734 using mixture of date syrup and cheese whey as carbon sources as well as ascorbic acid as a supplementary agent and to characterize the properties of produced BC. The results showed the highest BC production on the 10th day. The 50:50 ratio of date syrup and cheese whey lead to the highest BC production. Three samples were selected in optimal cultivation conditions until the 10th day, with different ascorbic acid concentrations (0, 0.1 and 0.4%). SEM results showed no difference in the morphology of BC product in the optimal samples, where the average diameter of cellulose nanofibers produced was in the range of nanometer. The FTIR test results showed no difference in the chemical structure of cellulose product in different ascorbic acid concentrations. According to XRD and TGA analyses, the highest degree of BC crystallinity and thermal resistance was obtained at maximum ascorbic acid concentration (0.04%). Consequently, the 50:50 ratio of date syrup and cheese whey and 10th day of fermentation time were selected as the best conditions for BC production. Though ascorbic acid reduced production efficiency, it improved the physical properties of the BC product.

Oxidized bacterial cellulose membrane as support for enzyme immobilization: properties and morphological features

Bacterial cellulose (BC) membrane can be architected to covalently immobilize biomolecules, generating materials with new functionality. The processes of purification (via alkaline treatment) and chemical modification (via NaIO4) to the wet BC membrane is the innovation of this work. This wet oxidized BC (OxBC) membrane could act as a support matrix for covalent immobilization of enzymes. BC produced over 5 days of static fermentation, followed by purification with K2CO3 (BC-5d-K2CO3) was selected for our study due to high porosity and surface area, which are properties that favor its chemical modification. This wet BC membrane proven suitable for NaIO4 oxidation. Time and temperature conditions were evaluated in the oxidation reaction, with oxidation BC (OxBC) performed at 1% (w/v) NaIO4 for 6 h at 55 °C under most advantageous conditions, as it provided 50% oxidation degree and preserved its morphological structure. BC and OxBC were characterized by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Scanning electron microscopy, mechanical test, and thermal analysis. The oxidation reaction decreased BC crystallinity, tensile strength, and thermal stability and compacted the cellulose layers. BC and OxBC showed non-cytotoxicity. Fourier transform infrared confirmed that OxBC can covalently immobilize papain and that after immobilization the enzyme showed a recovered enzymatic activity of 93.1%. In addition, the oxidized membrane presented greater amount of immobilized papain in its study than BC, proving to be a more efficient support for enzymatic immobilization.

Influence of the reaction time during the treatment of bacterial cellulose with sulfuric acid solution

Biomaterials are one of the most important parts of the medical device industry. Being used frequently in the development of Scaffolds for the tecidual regeneration. Bacterial cellulose is a biomaterial widely used in tissue regeneration. Due to its high content of hydrogen bonds, its crystallinity is high and its solubility is low, which makes its use difficult. Studies carried out with anteriority showed the modification suffered by bacterial cellulose treated with sulfuric acid solutions. The objective of this work was to study the influence of reaction time on crystallinity in the treatment of bacterial cellulose with sulfuric acid solution. Bacterial cellulose was modified by acid hydrolysis with sulfuric acid solutions of 48 or 64% for 60, 120 and 240 min. In all cases, the hydrolysed cellulose was washed with distilled water until pH 7, subsequently the cellulose was washed with ethanol and dried in an oven at 37 ° C until a constant mass. The samples obtained were characterized by X-ray diffraction and the crystallinity index, the apparent crystallite size, the crystallite inner chains and the Z-discriminant function were determined. The results showed that the reaction time has a statistically significant influence on the crystallinity of bacterial cellulose.

Valorizing kitchen waste through bacterial cellulose production towards a more sustainable biorefinery

In this work, water washing pretreatment was employed on kitchen waste (KW) to integrate a multi-product biorefinery process for producing biogas, biodiesel, bacterial cellulose (BC) and biofertilizer. As a crucial stream in this biorefinery process, BC production were investigated to clarify the effects of residual salt and cooked oil. Meanwhile, glycerol, a by-product in biodiesel stream, as carbon source was attempted to produce BC. Results indicated that BC yield was significantly promoted from 0.11 g L−1 to 2.07 g L−1 as NaCl content decreased from 0.44% to 0.04%. Correspondingly, the BC crystallinity increased from 30.1% to 57.4% and the tensile strength increased from 3.30 MPa to 21.64 MPa. In addition, the residual cooked oil didn't affect the BC yield significantly, however, the crystallinity was greatly decreased from 57.4% to 34.5% as more cooked oil was remained in the medium of KW, and the tensile strength was decreased from 21.64 MPa to 4.30 MPa, correspondingly. Obviously, reducing the salt and cooked oil content in the starch fraction of KW by intensifying the water washing pretreatment will greatly benefit the BC yield and qualities. When the glycerol from biodiesel stream was employed for BC production with content of 10 g L−1–25 g L−1, 34.2%–44.0% increase on BC yield can be achieved. By contrast, extra higher glycerol content (50 g L−1) reduced the BC yield by 41%. However, the crystallinity and the tensile strength were increased by 18% and 2.2-folds, respectively. Therefore, the biodiesel stream can be well integrated in the process via producing BC with by-product of glycerol as a replaceable carbon source. Based on the results above, a more sustainable biorefinery process of KW via BC production can be achieved, which will potentially offer a new path to valorize the daily-released KW.

Stable microfluidized bacterial cellulose suspension

In this work, nanofibrillated suspensions of bacterial cellulose (BC) were produced via microfluidization. The effects of the size of the openings of the microfluidizer chamber and ultrasonication on the nanofibril properties were evaluated. The results of the X-ray diffraction analysis indicated a considerable reduction in BC crystallinity (86–65%) and crystallite size (5.8–4.0 nm) after microfluidization and ultrasonication. Thermal analysis showed a remarkable reduction from 337 to 283 °C in the initial temperature of degradation along the several steps of BC deconstruction. Moreover, infrared analysis indicated that both processes led to an increase in the Iβ content (43–66%) of the fibers. Morphological analysis showed that the fibrillation process used exposed the internal faces of the ribbon-like nanofibrils, and thus, increased the surface area of the cellulose network, and produced fibers with a high aspect ratio (L/d). A thermally stable nanofibrillated suspension could be obtained by adding carboxymethyl cellulose as a simple and effective way to maintain cellulose fibers dispersed in the solution during sterilization by autoclaving.

A study of properties and enzymatic hydrolysis of bacterial cellulose

This study evaluates how bacterial cellulose (BC) properties influence the efficiency of enzymatic hydrolysis. BC was produced by the Medusomyces gisevii Sa-12 symbiotic culture in an enzymatic hydrolyzate obtained from oat hulls and was characterized by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and X-ray diffraction. The enzymatic hydrolysis was examined with dried BCs unwashed and washed of culture medium components and cell debris, as well as with wet BC washed of culture medium components, at initial solid loadings of 10 and 30 g/L. The enzymatic hydrolysis of the BC sample unwashed of culture medium components and cell debris exhibited a substrate conversion degree of 56.3–66.6%. The conversion degree of the BC samples washed of culture medium components and cell debris was 89.4–99.5%. The removal of culture medium components and cell debris increased the conversion degree by 1.5 times. The drying of wet BC was found to decrease the enzymatic hydrolysis rate but it did not affect the conversion degree: the maximum yield of reducing sugars of 99.5% was achieved in 56 h for dried BC and in 16 h for wet BC. The substrate’s impurity content (growth medium components and cells) and moisture had the greatest effect on the performance of enzymatic hydrolysis of BC. The high BC crystallinity index of 90% was found to be not a determinant for the enzymatic hydrolysis efficiency.

Bacterial Cellulose Derived Carbon Nanofibers As High Capacity Anode for Lithium-Ion Batteries

Despite recent developments at lab-scale, Lithium ion is still fastest growing and most promising technology for rechargeable batteries. Although graphite has been conventionally used as anode materials in commercial Li ion batteries, a lot of other allotropes of carbon have also been explored in literature. Carbon nanofibers (CNF) based anode which are primarily derived from polymer precursors such as PAN, SU-8 negative photoresist, cellulose acetate is one such example. However, there is still a need to look for alternative precursors to yield CNF on commercial basis using a scalable, low-cost and sustainable route. Bacterial cellulose, a β-1,4 linked exopolysaccharide which is produced by some special kind of obligate aerobic bacteria is one such potential precursor. Bacterial cellulose which is devoid of lignin, hemicellulose and pectin unlike plant cellulose, comprises three-dimensional (3-D) inter woven nanofibrous network. Bacterial cellulose has several unique properties like higher degree of crystallinity, greater mechanical properties and modability. The fiber morphology and porosity of bacterial cellulose can be controlled to a great extent by employing different fermentation conditions, post treatment (drying and purification) and modifying the network formation by additives in fermentation media. Recent advances not only allows in-situ modification of bacterial cellulose properties using additives but also there are few reports on controlling the orientation and patterning of bacterial cellulose nanofibrils. However there are only few recent studies on exploring the bacterial cellulose as a polymer precursor to carbon upon controlled pyrolysis and to use them as anode. There is still a gap towards the integration of modifying the structural properties of bacterial cellulose and to correlate its effect on as-derived CNF and to further evaluate their electrochemical performance. This work is an effort toward this objective. In the present work, we will first discuss the fermentative production of bacterial cellulose, influence of bioprocess parameters and post production treatments on its physiochemical properties, followed by controlled pyrolysis to yield bacterial cellulose derived CNF. Average diameter of bacterial cellulose CNF was in the range of 20-50 nm. Depending on the fermentation media and growth conditions, crystallinity of bacterial cellulose and its derived carbon can be tuned to a great extent. These bacterial cellulose derived CNF were then used as an anode in half-cell configuration to investigate their electrochemical performance. We shall also present the way forward to explore the in-situ modification of bacterial cellulose to further provide a tight control on the physiochemical properties of CNFs upon pyrolysis with the perspective of their utilization as high performance anode for lithium-ion batteries. Given the scalability and relative low cost production of bacterial cellulose and as-derived CNFs may pave the way of their utilization for commercial electrodes in future. Figure 1

Effects of exopolysaccharides from Escherichia coli ATCC 35860 on the mechanical properties of bacterial cellulose nanocomposites

The effects of growing bacterial cellulose (BC) in the presence of exopolysaccharides (EPS) extracted from Escherichia coli ATCC 35860 on the mechanical properties of BC have been studied. After harvesting and purifying the EPS, its composition was analyzed by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. When adding the purified EPS into the culture media, another kind of EPS, composed of fructose, was produced by Gluconacetobacter xylinus ATCC 23769 and a minor portion of the added EPS was incorporated into cellulose fibrillar network. The characteristics of BC nanocomposites synthesized in the presence of purified EPS was systematically studied through tensile testing, x-ray diffraction, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, and field emission scanning electron microscopy. The results revealed that the EPS affected the cellulose-cellulose interactions during the physical aggregation of crystalline microfibrils, but did not impact the co-crystallization process during BC synthesis. The addition of 4 or 8 mg/L purified EPS into the culture media, was found to significantly improve the mechanical properties of BC nanocomposites while maintaining BC crystallinity and crystal size.

Hydrothermal synthesis of bacterial cellulose–copper oxide nanocomposites and evaluation of their antimicrobial activity

In this work, for the first time bacterial cellulose (BC) hydrogel membranes were used for the fabrication of antimicrobial cellulosic nanocomposites by hydrothermal deposition of Cu derivative nanoparticles (i.e.Cu(0) and CuxOy species). BC-Cu nanocomposites were characterized by FTIR, SEM, AFM, XRD and TGA, to study the effect of hydrothermal processing time on the final physicochemical properties of final products. XRD result show that depending on heating time (3–48h), different CuxOy phases were achieved. SEM and AFM analyses unveil the presence of the Cu(0) and copper CuxOy nanoparticles over BC fibrils while the surface of 3D network became more compact and smother for longer heating times. Furthermore, the increase of heating time placed deleterious effect on the structure of BC network leading to decrease of BC crystallinity as well as of the on-set degradation temperature. Notwithstanding, BC-Cu nanocomposites showed excellent antimicrobial activity against E. coli, S. aureus and Salmonella bacteria suggesting potential applications as bactericidal films.

Oriented bacterial cellulose-glass fiber nanocomposites with enhanced tensile strength through electric field

Bacterial cellulose (BC) is a kind of excellent nano-sized fibrous material produced by some microorganisms. However, commonly obtained randomly-oriented web-like form of BC nanofibers impedes achieving their full potential applications in some cases. In the present study, a facile method has been developed to orient the nanofibers through electric field. The nanofibers with an oriented structure were observed when BC producer (Gluconacetobacter xylinus) was cultured under an electric field of 10 mA. Subsequently, an oriented bacterial cellulose-glass fiber nanocomposite was prepared using a glass fiber and BC matrix under an electric field. The nanocomposites exhibited a significant improvement in tensile strength and thermostability. With an addition of 20 wt% GF, the tensile strength of the composite in perpendicular direction to DC was significantly increased to 1.44-fold of that in parallel direction. It indicated by FT-IR and XRD that the chemical structure and crystallinity of BC were not affected by addition of glass fiber. The study opens up new possibilities for direct fabrication of mechanically robust BC nanocomposites that can replace traditional BC and composite.

Mechanical and structural property analysis of bacterial cellulose composites

Bacterial cellulose (BC) exhibits unique properties including high mechanical strength and high crystallinity. Improvement in the mechanical properties of BC is sought for many applications ranging from food to structural composites to biomedical materials. In this study, different additives including carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), pectin, gelatin, cornstarch, and corn steep liquor were included in the fermentation media to alter the BC produced. Three different concentrations (1%, 3% and 5%) were chosen for each of the additives, with no additive (0%) as the control. The produced BC was then analyzed to determine tensile and compression modulus. Amongst the tested additives, BC produced in media containing 3% (w/v) pectin had the maximum compressive modulus (142kPa), and BC produced in media containing 1% (w/v) gelatin exhibited the maximum tensile modulus (21MPa). Structural characteristics of BC and BC-additive composites were compared using X-Ray diffraction (XRD). The crystal size and crystallinity of BC was reduced when grown in the presence of CMC and gelatin while pectin only decreased the crystallite size. This suggested that CMC and gelatin may be incorporated into the BC fibril structure. The field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) images showed the increased micro-fibril aggregation in BC pellicles grown in the presence of additives to the culture media.