Menaquinone-7, a highly valuable member of the vitamin K series, has significant effects on preventing osteoporosis and cardiovascular disease besides its positive effects on blood coagulation. In this review, chemical and biological aspects of menaquinone-7 are briefly summarized followed by a critical review on upstream and downstream processing developments for its production and recovery, including solid versus liquid fermentations, static versus agitated fermentations and online versus post-production recovery. Latest research outcomes for improving industrial scale production of menaquinone-7 are summarized and recommendations are given for areas of future research.
Keywords: Fermentation; Menaquinone; Nutritional benefits; Production; Separation; Vitamin K.