This study describes the hyaluronic acid (HA) production by S. zooepidemicus ATCC 43079, and the effect of the hyaluronidase enzyme on HA levels. The hyaluronidase production, glucose consumption, and lactate formation were recorded during fermentation. The HA production, and productivity at different amounts of glucose, yeast extract and pH were evaluated by response surface statistical approach in presence of 6-O-palmytoil-l-ascorbic acid as a chemical inhibitor for biocatalyst hyaluronidase. Under optimum conditions, HA production was increased two-fold from 190 ± 17 mg L-1 in basal medium to 384.6 ± 7.5 mg L-1 in the optimized medium containing enzyme inhibitor. Furthermore, the results indicated that the chemical inhibitor could suppress the biocatalyst activity and prevent the HA loss at the end of the exponential phase of S. zooepidemicus ATCC 43079.
Keywords: Biocatalyst inhibition; RSM experimental design; Streptoccocus zooepidemicus; hyaluronic acid fermentation; hyaluronidase.