Division of Fermentation Technology, School of Food Industry, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, Thailand.
Department of Agricultural Engineering, School of Engineering, King Mongkut's Institute of Technology Ladkrabang, Bangkok, Thailand.
PeerJ. 2024 Jun 28;12:e17650. doi: 10.7717/peerj.17650. eCollection 2024.
This study explored the utilization of luffa sponge (LS) in enhancing acetification processes. LS is known for having high porosity and specific surface area, and can provide a novel means of supporting the growth of acetic acid bacteria (AAB) to improve biomass yield and acetification rate, and thereby promote more efficient and sustainable vinegar production. Moreover, the promising potential of LS and luffa sponge coated with κ-carrageenan (LSK) means they may represent effective alternatives for the co-production of industrially valuable bioproducts, for example bacterial cellulose (BC) and acetic acid.
LS and LSK were employed as adsorbents for UMCC 2951 in a submerged semi-continuous acetification process. Experiments were conducted under reciprocal shaking at 1 Hz and a temperature of 32 °C. The performance of the two systems (LS-AAB and LSK-AAB respectively) was evaluated based on cell dry weight (CDW), acetification rate, and BC biofilm formation.
The use of LS significantly increased the biomass yield during acetification, achieving a CDW of 3.34 mg/L versus the 0.91 mg/L obtained with planktonic cells. Coating LS with κ-carrageenan further enhanced yield, with a CDW of 4.45 mg/L. Acetification rates were also higher in the LSK-AAB system, reaching 3.33 ± 0.05 g/L d as opposed to 2.45 ± 0.05 g/L d for LS-AAB and 1.13 ± 0.05 g/L d for planktonic cells. Additionally, BC biofilm formation during the second operational cycle was more pronounced in the LSK-AAB system (37.0 ± 3.0 mg/L, as opposed to 25.0 ± 2.0 mg/L in LS-AAB).
This study demonstrates that LS significantly improves the efficiency of the acetification process, particularly when enhanced with κ-carrageenan. The increased biomass yield, accelerated acetification, and enhanced BC biofilm formation highlight the potential of the LS-AAB system, and especially the LSK-AAB variant, in sustainable and effective vinegar production. These systems offer a promising approach for small-scale, semi-continuous acetification processes that aligns with eco-friendly practices and caters to specialized market needs. Finally, this innovative method facilitates the dual production of acetic acid and bacterial cellulose, with potential applications in biotechnological fields.
本研究探索了利用丝瓜络（LS）增强醋酸化过程。LS 具有高孔隙率和比表面积，为支持醋酸菌（AAB）的生长提供了一种新方法，可提高生物量产量和醋酸化速率，从而促进更高效和可持续的醋生产。此外，LS 和用 κ-卡拉胶涂覆的丝瓜络（LSK）具有广阔的应用前景，它们可能成为工业有价值的生物制品（例如细菌纤维素（BC）和醋酸）共同生产的有效替代品。
LS 和 LSK 被用作 UMCC 2951 在淹没式半连续醋酸化过程中的吸附剂。在 1 Hz 往复摇动和 32°C 的温度下进行实验。根据细胞干重（CDW）、醋酸化速率和 BC 生物膜形成来评估这两个系统（分别为 LS-AAB 和 LSK-AAB）的性能。
使用 LS 可显著提高醋酸化过程中的生物量产量，获得的 CDW 为 3.34mg/L，而浮游细胞的产量为 0.91mg/L。用 κ-卡拉胶涂覆 LS 进一步提高了产量，CDW 为 4.45mg/L。LSK-AAB 系统的醋酸化速率也更高，达到 3.33±0.05g/L/d，而 LS-AAB 为 2.45±0.05g/L/d，浮游细胞为 1.13±0.05g/L/d。此外，在第二个操作周期中，LSK-AAB 系统中 BC 生物膜的形成更为明显（37.0±3.0mg/L，而 LS-AAB 为 25.0±2.0mg/L）。
本研究表明，LS 可显著提高醋酸化过程的效率，尤其是与 κ-卡拉胶增强时。生物量产量的增加、醋酸化的加速以及 BC 生物膜的形成突出了 LS-AAB 系统的潜力，特别是 LSK-AAB 变体在可持续和有效的醋生产中的潜力。这些系统为符合环保实践和满足特定市场需求的小型、半连续醋酸化过程提供了一种有前途的方法。最后，这种创新方法促进了醋酸和细菌纤维素的双重生产，在生物技术领域具有潜在的应用。
