The use of micro-organisms for L-ascorbic acid production: current status and future perspectives

L-Ascorbic acid (L-AA) has been industrially produced for around 60 years in a primarily chemical process utilising D-glucose (D-glc) as starting material. Current world production is estimated at approximately 80,000 tonnes per annum with a worldwide market in excess of U.S. $600 million. We present a brief overview of research geared to exploiting micro-organisms for the industrial production of vitamin C, with emphasis on recent approaches using genetically engineered bacterial strains. We also discuss the potential for direct production of L-AA exploiting novel biochemical pathways with particular reference to yeast fermentations. The potential advantages of these novel approaches over current chemical and biotechnological processes are outlined.