Sustainable strategies for hyaluronic acid production: From conventional methods to biomass utilization - A review

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is a polysaccharide that stands out in various fields due to its high biocompatibility with the human body, as it is found in the extracellular matrix. HA has different functions and characteristics depending on its molecular weight, and new studies increasingly find additional applications for hyaluronic acid, which is already present in medicine, biomedicine, cosmetology, and the production of various products. With the advancement in HA usage, it is necessary to study and improve its production pathway to make it more efficient and less toxic. This paper analyzes articles that present different processes for HA production, from its conventional model based on animal extraction to the use of different biomasses for bacterial production. For the industrial production of hyaluronic acid, microbial fermentation is often preferred over extraction from animal sources; however, this method requires expensive nitrogen and carbon sources, hindering commercial competitiveness. An alternative is the use of agro-industrial waste and biomass, with various carbon sources being studied, ranging from simple sugars, such as pentose and hexose, in food to more complex industrial residues. These alternative approaches can lower production costs and provide a more sustainable means of meeting the increasing demand for HA.