A novel bacterial cellulose (BC) membrane supported silver nanoparticles (AgNPs) was synthesized with a facile in situ growth method. The physicochemical properties of AgNP/BC were characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The results demonstrate that AgNPs with diameters of 10-20 nm were anchored throughout the three-dimensional network of BC membrane. The as-prepared AgNP/BC membrane was used as cathodic electrode to investigate its catalytic activity to oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in phosphate buffered saline (PBS) for the first time. As a result, the maximum current density obtained with AgNP/BC was -3.94 mA cm(-2), which was higher than Ag electrode and AgNP. Besides, the maximum current density of AgNP/BC only decreased 43% in electrolyte with 10 mmol L-1 glucose. Such AgNP/BC membrane with advantages including biocompatibility, facile synthesis, high catalytic activity and good glucose tolerance could be valuable to ORR in implanted glucose fuel cells. (C) 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.