Traditionally HA was extracted from rooster combs,
and now it is mainly produced via microbial fermentation
with lower production costs and less environmental
pollution [3-7]. HA has been successfully produced on
an industrial scale with Streptococcus sp. as the main
producer. Nevertheless, the production of HA from
Streptococcus sp. is facing a growing concern due to the
fact that streptococci are pathogenic [8]. In this background,
the recombinant HA production has attracted
an increasing interest, and Novozymes has produced
HA with recombinant Bacillus subtilis on an industrial
scale [8].
In this review, the research history, current HA markets,
and HA production by Streptococcus zooepidemicus
and recombinant systems were summarized. And then
the challenges facing the microbial HA production were
discussed, and finally several guidelines in the forthcoming
research were proposed.