Jul 2026· Letters in Applied Microbiology· Vol 79· 0 citations
Medicine
TL;DR
While microbial production of glucosamine offers clear environmental and economic advantages, their large-scale feasibility depends on addressing these challenges through integrated approaches, including CRISPR-based gene editing and metabolic engineering and process optimization.
Abstract
Glucosamine and its derivatives have been extensively used in the nutraceutical, cosmetic, food and pharmaceutical industries. Commercial glucosamine production traditionally relies on the acid or enzymatic hydrolysis of crustacean shells, particularly those of shrimp and crabs. However, these processes are often associated with high production costs, environmental concerns, extensive chemical usage, and the generation of hazardous waste. In recent years, microbial production of glucosamine has emerged as a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative, offering advantages such as milder processing conditions, reduced chemical inputs, and improved process scalability. Microbial approaches include direct glucosamine biosynthesis by native microorganisms, bioconversion of chitin-rich substrates by chitinolytic microbes, and metabolic engineering of recombinant strains for enhanced production. This review explores microbial approaches for glucosamine production, including direct biosynthesis, chitin bioconversion, and recombinant microbial systems. Key challenges related to substrate utilization, process scalability, strain stability, and product recovery are critically evaluated, along with emerging solutions involving metabolic engineering and process optimization. Additionally, strategies to overcome such challenges such as CRISPR-based gene editing, optimization of culture and fermentation conditions etc. have been discussed. This review emphasizes the fact that while microbial production of glucosamine offers clear environmental and economic advantages, their large-scale feasibility depends on addressing these challenges through integrated approaches.
Kojic acid is an industrially important fungal secondary metabolite widely utilised in the cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and food industries due to its tyrosinase inhibitory, antioxidant, and metal-chelating properties. The increasing commercial demand for naturally derived kojic acid is constrained by limitations associated with substrate costs, fermentation efficiency, and downstream processing. Microbial fermentation using Aspergillus species continues to represent the most practical production route due to its environmental compatibility and scalability. This review critically evaluates recent advances in microbial kojic acid production with an emphasis on biosynthetic regulation, fermentation technologies, strain engineering, downstream processing, and sustainable bioprocessing strategies. Particular attention is given to submerged and solid-state fermentation systems, optimisation of physicochemical parameters, and the utilisation of agro-industrial residues as low-cost substrates. Recent advances in metabolic engineering, including CRISPR-assisted genome modification and pathway optimisation in engineered Aspergillus strains, are also discussed in relation to productivity enhancement and metabolic regulation. In addition, the review highlights emerging industrial applications of kojic acid and its derivatives in nanotechnology-based delivery systems, antimicrobial biomaterials, food preservation, and biomedical formulations. Recent developments in green cosmetic formulations, hydrogel-based delivery systems, niosomal encapsulation, and biorefinery-integrated fermentation have further expanded the industrial significance of kojic acid. Advanced formulation technologies improve compound stability, bioavailability, and skin permeability while supporting environmentally sustainable production systems. Despite substantial progress, industrial production continues to face limitations associated with oxygen transfer, substrate inconsistency, purification costs, and process scalability. Future research should therefore focus on integrating systems biology, smart bioprocess control, sustainable feedstock utilisation, and circular bioeconomy principles to establish economically viable and environmentally sustainable production platforms for kojic acid.
Parth Shroff, Darshan Marjadi· Journal of Advances in Biolo...· 0 citations
Xylitol is a five-carbon sugar alcohol widely used in the food, pharmaceutical, oral healthcare, and personal care industries because of its low caloric value, low glycaemic index, and non-cariogenic properties. Industrial production is mainly based on catalytic hydrogenation of xylose, which provides high conversion efficiency but requires intensive energy input, costly catalysts, and complex purification processes. Microbial fermentation has emerged as a sustainable alternative for producing xylitol from renewable lignocellulosic biomass. This review summarizes recent advances in xylitol production, with a particular focus on microbial biomanufacturing. Key developments in lignocellulosic biomass utilization, metabolic engineering, cofactor balancing, oxygen regulation, and fermentation optimization are discussed. Chemical and biological production routes are critically compared in terms of efficiency, sustainability, and industrial applicability. Recent progress in downstream purification and biorefinery integration is also highlighted. Despite substantial advances, challenges including inhibitor toxicity, limited microbial robustness, low fermentation productivity, and high purification costs continue to hinder large-scale commercialization. Future research should focus on feedstock valorization, systems metabolic engineering, process intensification, and sustainable separation technologies to improve the economic and environmental sustainability of bio-based xylitol production.
This review provides the current state of PHAs production from wild yeast strains and the various approaches that have been used to improve yield, and discusses the performance, challenges, and limitations of various synthetic biology and metabolic engineering strategies in yeast strains for PHAs production.
K. Mohanrasu, R. Selvakumar, I. Grainge et al.· International Journal of Bio...· 0 citations
The escalating global population and the environmentally inefficient nature of livestock-based protein production are intensifying demand for sustainable and scalable protein alternatives. Microbial biosynthesis, employing engineered cell factories, represents a pivotal strategy for producing functional proteins with a reduced ecological footprint. This review comprehensively examines the biosynthesis of alternative proteins (APs) via microbial precision fermentation, encompassing diverse categories including coloring proteins, flavoring and taste proteins, structuring and texturizing proteins, nutritional and functional proteins, food processing and enabling proteins, and special functional proteins. Enabling technologies, from fermentation feedstock and microbial host selection to genome/metabolic engineering, bioprocess optimization via response surface methodology/artificial neural networks, and downstream purification, are critically analyzed. Emerging strategies demonstrate substantial progress in enhancing microbial titers, achieving functional mimicry, and advancing regulatory readiness. However, persistent challenges include precise flavor replication, nutritional completeness, and food safety concerns such as allergenicity and process contaminants. Potential solutions, including advanced metabolic engineering, refined protein extraction, biocontainment strategies, and transparent regulatory frameworks, are discussed. By integrating technological innovation with targeted application mapping and regulatory foresight, this review outlines a roadmap toward scalable, safe, and functionally robust microbial AP platforms, thereby contributing to the transition toward a sustainable food system.
Zewei Lu, Zhuoer Chen, Dianqi Yang et al.· Comprehensive Reviews in Foo...· 0 citations
Terpenoids (isoprenoids) constitute one of the largest and most structurally diverse families of natural products with application ranging from flavors, pharmaceuticals to biofuels. Conventional extraction from plants is often limited by low yields, seasonal variability, and environmental constraints; whereas, chemical synthesis requires toxic chemicals and energy-intensive processes. Consequently, microbial cell factories have emerged as sustainable and industrially scalable alternatives for terpenoid biosynthesis. Different microorganisms possess distinct physiological and metabolic advantages, including efficient precursor supply, tolerance to toxic products, internal storage for hydrophobic compounds, utilization of renewable carbon sources, and compatibility with complex biosynthetic pathways. Furthermore, several microbial hosts have strains with Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status, making them attractive candidates for food and nutraceutical applications, although their regulatory acceptance ultimately depends on the production strain, genetic modifications, manufacturing process, product, and intended use. In addition, photosynthetic cyanobacteria offer a promising platform for direct conversion of CO
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into terpenoids, providing opportunities for more resource-efficient and sustainable biomanufacturing. Therefore, strategic host selection is a crucial step in designing efficient microbial platforms for terpenoid production. The present review provides a host-centric perspective by comparing conventional and emerging microbial cell factories, highlighting their physiological strengths, product spectrum, industrial applicability, and strategic considerations for sustainable and application-specific terpenoid biomanufacturing.
Vibha Shukla, V. Shukla, Shweta Rawat et al.· Frontiers in Bioengineering...· 0 citations
Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) have emerged as powerful tools for metabolic engineering by enabling pathway prediction, metabolic flux optimization, enzyme engineering, and identification of bottlenecks throughout terpenoid biosynthesis.
Aakash Kamalesan, K. Kumar, Bharathi Nathan et al.· Antonie van Leeuwenhoek· 0 citations
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