Production of kojic acid by Aspergillus species: Trends and applications

Kojic acid (KA), produced mainly by Aspergillus species, is a product of fungal secondary metabolism and has great potential in biotechnological applications. The use of KA has steadily increased, chiefly in the pharmaceutical industry, where KA is used for skin light-ning. The market for KA has grown considerably in recent years and is expected to reach $39 million by 2026. In this review, we summarise the relevant information regarding the application of KA, describe the optimal cultivation conditions for Aspergillus species used in the production of KA, and assess the prospects for the KA market. Based on our findings, we established that the highest yields of KA can be achieved using submerged fermentation with glucose and yeast extract as the primary sources of carbon and nitrogen, respectively. Furthermore, according to literature, the main species/strains reported as the best producers of KA are Aspergillus pavus (44-L), Aspergillus oryzae (AR-47 and NRRL 484), and Aspergillus ter-reus (C5-10 mutant of the strain PTCC 5283). Given the commercial importance of KA and the growing demand for this natural product, further studies are needed to identify novel strains of Aspergillus as potential high producers of this acid. Similarly, it will be desirable to identify novel sources of substrate for the low-cost production of KA, thereby promoting its produc-tion for use in pharmaceutical, healthcare, and other potential industrial applications. In addition, given the current limited knowledge regarding the biosynthetic pathway of KA, further studies are required to elucidate that biosynthetic pathway.(c) 2023 British Mycological Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

Kojic acid (KA), produced mainly by Aspergillus species, has great potential in biotechnological applications. Its use in the pharmaceutical industry for skin lightening has steadily increased, and the market is expected to reach $39 million by 2026.