LED light emission and olive pomace-rich culture medium in potentiating bacterial cellulose synthesis and improving biopolymer properties

Abstract

The growing demand for sustainable and high-performance materials has driven research into optimizing bacterial cellulose (BC) production using innovative strategies. In this context, this work aimed to evaluate the enhancement of BC biosynthesis by Komagataeibacter intermedius, combining LED photobiomodulation with a natural olive pomace-based medium (20 % MOP) and their impact on the properties of the produced BC. Hestrin-Schram medium was used as the control. LED irradiation (630 nm) was applied at 14 J/cm² (control LED; 20 % MOP LED) in static culture for 7 days at 28 °C. The MOP medium and LED emission demonstrated a synergistic effect, resulting in a significant production increase of 385.97 % compared to the control. The BC membranes synthesized in the 20 % MOP and LED irradiation exhibited improved thermal stability, stress capacity (247.06 %), and strain at break (33.96 %) compared to the control. The production-to-quality ratio, the valorization of the by-product, and the use of the energy-efficient emitter are key factors for the scalability and viability of the bioprocess and its industrial application.