The Application of the Green Fermentation Process for the Production of Fat-Soluble Vitamins

Abstract

Vitamins represent a group of essential nutrients necessary for maintaining normal metabolism and optimal health in humans and animals. They find wide applications in the food, cosmetic, feed, chemical, and pharmaceutical industries. Recently, the global demand for vitamins has significantly increased, leading to a growing interest in finding new production strategies. Traditional methods of chemical synthesis of vitamins involve high temperatures, pressurized reactors, and the use of non-renewable chemicals or toxic solvents, raising concerns about product safety, environmental pollution, and the generation of hazardous waste. In response to these challenges, innovative approaches are emerging. Factories producing microbial cells for vitamin production offer an environmentally friendly and sustainable alternative from both an ecological and economic perspective. Advances in biotechnology and metabolic engineering have paved the way for the development of efficient and environmentally friendly processes. Fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A and D, can potentially be produced using microbial cell factories or are already being manufactured in commercial fermentation processes. This overview provides a brief review of fat-soluble vitamins and thoroughly examines specific examples and achievements in this field. Additionally, the review explores metabolic engineering as the foundation for establishing vitamin production factories from microbial cells, highlighting their potential to compete with traditional chemical methods. The modern state and challenges arising in fermentative vitamin production are also discussed in detail, shedding light on current efforts to meet the growing global demand, with a focus on sustainability and safety.