RESUMO
The present study investigated the efficacy of bacterial cellulose production by K. xylinus TISTR 1011 and K. nataicola TISTR 975 using yam bean juice as a nutrient source, and the physicochemical and sensory characteristics of bacterial cellulose were examined. Bacterial cellulose content, production yield, and production rate were significantly higher when K. xylinus TISTR 1011 rather than K. nataicola TISTR 975 was used as the bacterial strain. The analysis of physicochemical characteristics revealed that bacterial cellulose produced by K. xylinus TISTR 1011 using yam bean juice medium had higher scores for CIE L*, a*, and b* values, wet weight, moisture content, firmness, and gel strength than bacterial cellulose produced by K. nataicola TISTR 975. In contrast, sensory evaluation showed that the acceptability scores and preference of all attributes of bacterial cellulose produced by K. nataicola TISTR 975 using yam bean juice medium were higher than those of bacterial cellulose produced by K. xylinus TISTR 1011. The results of this study indicate that yam bean juice from yam bean tubers, an alternative raw material agricultural product, can be used as a nutrient source for producing bacterial cellulose or nata by Komagataeibacter strains.