Vinegar is produced when acetic acid bacteria act on alcoholic beverages such as wine. Specific oxidation reactions occur through oxidative fermentation, which creates vinegar as a byproduct. In the biotechnological industry, these bacteria's oxidation mechanism is exploited to produce a number of compounds such as l-ascorbic acid, dihydroxyacetone, gluconic acid, and cellulose.Mamlouk, D. & Gullo, M. Acetic Acid Bacteria: Physiology and Carbon Sources Oxidation. Indian Journal of Microbiology 53, 377–384 (2013). Besides food industry, some acetic acid bacteria are used as biocatalysts for the industrial production of compounds. They are used as the important biocatalysts for the development of eco-friendly fermentation processes as an alternative to the chemical synthesis. Some genera, such as Acetobacter, can oxidize ethanol to carbon dioxide and water using Krebs cycle enzymes. Other genera, such as Gluconobacter, do not oxidize ethanol, as they do not have a full set of Krebs cycle enzymes. As these bacteria produce acid, they are usually acid-tolerant, growing well below pH 5.0, although the pH optimum for growth is 5.4-6.3. Acetobacter xylinum is able to synthesize cellulose, something normally done only by plants.
