Abstract:
Three strains of Acetobacter sp. obtained from Thailand Institute of Scientific and Technological Research were different in morphology, chemical characteristics and cellulose production. After cultivation in coconut water media, which was adjusted the total soluble solid to 9 ํBrix by sucrose and pH to 5 by acetic acid at 30 ํC for 7 days, TISTR 893 produced 0.36 centimeters in pellicle thickness which had 9.78 grams wet weight, 0.22% acid content (as g acetic acid per 100 ml media) and 35.27% yield of cellulose, TISTR 975 produced 1.04 centimeters in pellicle thickness which had 27.73 grams wet weight, 0.30% acid content and 27.88% yield of cellulose and TISTR 1037 produced 0.55 centimeters in pellicle thickness which had 14.56 grams wet weight, 0.23% acid content and 30.10% yield of cellulose. Three methods of cultivation and subculture were culturing in liquid media under static condition and subculture every 3 days, culturing in liquid media at 150 rpm with shaking condition and subculture every 3 days, and alternately culturing in liquid media and agar media under static condition and subculture every 7 days. These resulted in 4 variants, which were different in colony forming from parent cultures. The 893A varied from TISTR 893 after alternately culturing in liquid media and agar media under static condition and subculture for 10 times, it produced 0.38 centimeters in pellicle thickness and 12.97% yield of cellulose. The 975A varied from TISTR 975 after culturing in liquid media at 150 rpm with shaking condition and subculture for 16 times, it produced 0.63 centimeters in pellicle thickness and 13.02% yield of cellulose. The 975B varied from TISTR 975 after culturing in liquid media under static condition and subculture for 16 times, it produced 0.41 centimeters in pellicle thickness and 11.36% yield of cellulose. The 1037 A varied from TISTR 1037 after culturing in liquid media at 150 rpm with shaking condition and subculture for 16 times, it produced 0.64 centimeters in pellicle thickness and 16.51% yield of cellulose. During the cultivations of every 4 subcultures, there were detectable reductions of cellulose production but no variation in colony forming. Chemical characteristics of 4 variants were different from each other and from parent cultures. Genetic characteristics of the 3 TISTR strains and 4 variants were tested by using Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (RFLP) technique with 8 restriction enzymes and found that there were no differences