Biotechnological Production And Purification Of Hyaluronic Acid From Streptococcus Zooepidemicus

Abstract

Historically, hyaluronic acid (HA) was extracted from animal sources, mainly rooster combs. However, there are some downsides to this technique of acquiring it. Consequently, the number of studies has expanded, and numerous microbial strains have been investigated for their ability to produce hyaluronic acid. Multiple types of bacteria are capable of manufacturing hyaluronic acid, most notably Streptococcus zooepidemicus, which may create up to 7 g/L of HA under optimal growth circumstances. The culture medium and ambient circumstances (pH, temperature, aeration, agitation) have a direct impact on the generation of hyaluronic acid, which may be minimised or maximised depending on these variables. Regarding recovery and purification processes, a series of techniques involving the precipitation of hyaluronic acid from the fermentation broth are often used, including organic solvents, surfactants, centrifugation, membrane separation, and others. Functions of hyaluronic acid include pharmacological, medicinal, and cosmetic applications, among others, resulting in an annual growth in commercial demand for this biopolymer, which justifies research into its bioproduction. This study involves that after 24–28 hours of growth in a 10 l bioreactor containing 50 g sucrose/l and 10 g casein hydrolysate/l, 5-6 g hyaluronic acid/l was produced by Streptococcus zooepidemicus. Purification of hyaluronic acid yielded a recovery of 65%, with the final material having a magnetic resonance of ~ 4 x 10⁶ Da and containing less than 0.1% protein.