Effect of Coconut Water Storage Time and Inoculum Size of Lentilactobacillus parafarraginis on Dried Bacterial Cellulose Properties

Bacterial cellulose is a polysaccharide that possesses a chemical structure identical to cellulose derived from plants. Due to its high purity and distinct physicochemical properties, bacterial cellulose is extensively used in several industries, e.g., biomedical, food, and tissue engineering. The study aimed to evaluate the impact of the storage time of coconut water and the inoculum size of Lentilactobacillus parafarraginis on the properties of dried bacterial cellulose. In this study, coconut water was stored for 1, 2, and 3 days. The inoculum size used to produce bacterial cellulose was 4, 6, 8, and 10%. After fermentation for 9 days, bacterial cellulose was harvested and dried in an oven. The bacterial cellulose was evaluated for its organoleptic, weight, thickness, pH, swelling degree, moisture content, mechanical strength, and water vapour transmission (WVTR) properties. The FTIR spectrum and SEM image analysis were performed on the bacterial cellulose with optimum characteristics. The results showed that bacterial cellulose with coconut water stored for 2 days and inoculum size of 10% (BC210) exhibited optimum characteristics, indicating potential development as a new candidate biomaterial for broad applications.