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Isolation, Characterization, and Evaluation of Acid-Tolerant Acetic Acid Bacteria from Rhizosphere Soils for Potential Industrial Vinegar Production

L. Patel1, RD Jariwala*

*Corresponding Author: Ruchi Daxeshkumar Jariwala, Assistant Professor, Department of Microbiology, Vanita Vishram Women’s University, Surat

Email: ruchi.jariwala@vvwusurat.ac.in

1  Lency Patel, Department of Microbiology, Vanita Vishram Women’s University, Surat

Abstract

The present study aimed to isolate, characterize, and evaluate acetic acid bacteria (AAB) from diverse rhizosphere soils for their acid production capacity and tolerance, identifying candidates suitable for industrial vinegar fermentation. Ten soil samples were collected from rhizospheres of economically significant crops in Surat, India. Isolates were screened using GYC and Carr agar media, followed by morphological, Gram-staining, and biochemical characterization. Among the ten isolates, three (S1C2, S2C2, and S10) exhibited notable acidogenic activity. Quantitative analysis of acetic acid production in GYE broth revealed that isolate S2C2 produced the highest acetic acid concentration (5.4 g/L) after 72 hours of submerged fermentation. Acid tolerance assays demonstrated that S2C2 maintained appreciable growth at up to 5% v/v acetic acid, outperforming the other isolates. Comparative evaluation with previously reported AAB strains highlighted that the acid productivity and resilience of S2C2 were comparable to or better than established industrial strains. These findings underscore the potential of indigenous rhizosphere soils as reservoirs of robust, high-performance AAB strains, suitable for scalable and sustainable vinegar production processes.

Keywords:

Acetic acid bacteria, Rhizosphere soil, Acid tolerance, Submerged fermentation, Indigenous isolates