Recent advancement of glucosamine and N-acetyl glucosamine production using microorganisms: A review

Glucosamine (GlcN) and GlcN-based supplements, e.g. glucosamine hydrochloride, glucosamine sulfate, and N-acetyl glucosamine (GlcNAc), provide symptomatic relief to osteoarthritis patients and have been used as one of the most popular nutraceuticals. To meet the increasing demands, scientists have explored cost-effective methods for GlcN and GlcNAc production using low-cost raw materials such as seafood waste. However, the commercially available GlcN and GlcNAc production methods are environmentally harmful because of the use of toxic reagents. Moreover, the raw material used might be unsafe for consumers with shrimp allergies. On the other hand, bio-based GlcN production is gaining popularity because of its eco-friendly production approach and optimum reaction conditions. In this mini-review, we will discuss the recent developments to produce GlcN and GlcNAc through (1) the chemical and enzyme-mediated approaches of crude chitin hydrolysis, primarily obtained from shrimp and crabs; (2) the whole cell-based systems for fungal derived chitin bio-transformation and fungal fermentation; and (3) the metabolic engineering and the adaptive evolution based microbial biocatalyst for a balanced cell growth and optimal production of GlcN and GlcNAc. One-Sentence Summary: This article summarizes the mechanism of glucosamine and N-acetyl glucosamine production using bacteria, fungi, and chemical processes.