Bio-production of lactobionic acid: current status, applications and future prospects

Lactobionic acid has appeared on the commercial scene as a versatile polyhydroxy acid with numerous promising applications in the food, medicine, pharmaceutical, cosmetics and chemical industries. This high value-added bio-product has recently received growing attention as a bioactive compound, providing an excellent chemical platform for the synthesis of novel potentially biocompatible and biodegradable drug delivery vehicles. Recent advances in tissue engineering and nanomedicine have also underlined the increased importance of this organic acid as a key biofunctionalization agent. The growing commercial relevance of lactobionic acid has therefore prompted the development of novel systems for its biotechnological production that are both sustainable and efficient. The present review explores recent advances and studies related to lactobionic acid bio-production, whether through microbial or enzymatic approaches, highlighting the key bioprocessing conditions for enhanced bio-production. Detailed overviews of the current microbial cell factories as well as downstream processing methodologies for lactobionic acid production are also presented. Furthermore, the potential prospects and current applications of this polyhydroxy acid are also discussed, with an emphasis on the role of lactobionic acid as a key platform in the development of novel drugs, biomaterials, nanoparticles and biopolymer systems.