Applications of Hyaluronic Acid in Pharmaceuticals, Healthcare and Cosmetics and Its Biosynthesis

Hyaluronic acid (HA) is an important homopolysaccharide also known as a natural anionic mucopolysaccharide or glycosaminoglycan formed by the alternate connection of glucuronic acid and N-acetylglucosamine as disaccharide units. For this review, the literature was searched in PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science, using a few specific keywords including hyaluronic acid, biopolymer, glucuronic acid, N-acetylglucosamine, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, anti-aging and wound. Among the searched publications, further screening was done to select reports on the use of HA in healthcare and pharmaceutical products. Information relevant to the topic of this review has been presented in the article using 100 selected references, in eight tables and five figures. HA is a commercially valuable biocompatible polymer, which has been traditionally derived from rooster combs and animal tissues. However, it is currently produced through microbial fermentation by group C Streptococci. This biopolymer occurs naturally in several human tissues, including the skin and eyes. HA is a vital ingredient used in numerous products by global industries due to its unique characteristics, like inherent biocompatibility, tissue regenerative capacity, and anti-inflammatory properties. There has been a significant interest in recent years, enhanced across the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. Equally, the increased consumer interest from the aging population is compelling the demand for anti-aging products. Therefore, the global market for products formulated with HA marketed with defined benefits is experiencing significant growth. In this review, we have summarized current commercial applications of HA in many industries and consequently the increasing market size in specific application sectors in the next five years by 2030 in the international market.