Hyaluronic acid

The use of hyaluronic acid in both native and cross-linked form is well established in the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. The aim of this research project was therefore to increase the product yield and quality in the fermentation of hyaluronic acid-producing microorganisms.
The focus of the investigations was the realization of a laboratory fermenter supported by power ultrasound as a functional model for the sample production of biopolymers using the example of hyaluronic acid fermentation.
The advantages of using power ultrasound are the shortening of the exponential phase of bacterial multiplication and the reduction of the viscosity of the fermentation medium.
The scientific background was the systems engineering consideration of the fermentation process, taking into account process engineering and rheological aspects.

By selecting a mucoid variant of the Streptococcus equi subsp. zooepidemicus strain ATCC 35246, it was possible to achieve very high hyaluronic acid yields of an average of 6.7 g hyaluronic acid/l (max. 12.8 g/l) with a molecular weight >1 MD.
An optimized precipitation procedure made it possible to significantly reduce the processing steps. As expected, the use of precisely timed power ultrasound led to a shortening of the growth phase of the bacteria and to the preparation of hyaluronic acid with lower viscosity and reduced molecular weight.
The results obtained form a good basis for the production of hyaluronic acid-based wound dressings.

The real possibilities of fermentative production of hyaluronic acid are of interest to a whole range of companies. Negotiations on cooperation in this field are currently being conducted with several companies. The main interest of the companies is to use hyaluronic acid with special properties for the development and production of fully absorbable wound dressings with very high biocompatibility, but interest has also been expressed in further pharmaceutical and cosmetic applications.

Project partner: Individual project
Duration: 01.07.2004 – 31.02.2007
Funding body: EURONORM GmbH on behalf of the BMWi