SPECIFICATION
Vitamins are one of the essential micronutrients that human body cannot synthesize on its own.As a major global producer, China’s vitamins manufacturing industry has undergone three significant technological transformations. The initial stage relied on chemical synthesis, using petroleum and agricultural products as raw materials. This method was complex and highly polluting. The second stage, combining chemical synthesis with enzymatic catalysis, introduced enzyme-driven reaction, which improved the purity and efficiency. The third generation is a full biological fermentation technology, which has emerged as a game changer. By employing genetically engineered microorganisms, renewable resources such as sugars can be directly converted into target vitamins, dramatically reducing both energy consumption and environmental pollution.
Functional nutrients such as vitamin B5 are now being produced through cutting-edge technologies like metabolic engineering. Fermentation optimization, and synthetic biology, enabling high efficiency, low carbon, and sustainable production. For example, in the production of VB5, scientists have restricted the metabolic network of Escherichia coli to achieve efficient, offering a viable alternative to traditional methods.
The production through full biological fermentation involves complex multi-module metabolic regulation, including optimization of glucose uptake, redirection of central carbon flux, and cofactor balancing. By precisely regulating glucose utilization pathways and enhancing pyruvate supply, researchers have significantly improved VB5 yield and conversion efficiency. Furthermore, strict control of competing pathways and by-product formation is essential.Advanced gene editing tools such as CRISPR have been used to delete or suppress pathways for unwanted amino acids and organic acids, effectively reducing resource waste and increasing target product accumulation. The expression of exogenous proteins has also been optimized to enhance the intracellular and extracellular transport of VB5 and its precursors, leading to a more efficient production system.
China’s vitamin industry is entering a new era of independent innovation and advanced manufacturing. Future research will focus on intelligent monitoring of fermentation processes, dynamic regulation driven by multi-omics data, and systemic optimization of key rate-limiting steps. The goal is to achieve decoupled yet synergistic growth and production in industrial strains, continually pushing the boundaries of output and quality.
As synthetic biology and automated analysis technologies converge, a new generation of green, low-carbon, intelligent vitamin factories are becoming a reality. This transformation not only supports China’s transition from the “world’s factory” to a “global technology leader,” but also contributes Chinese innovation and expertise to global nutrition and health initiatives.
