Research Topic · Peer-Reviewed

Lactic Acid

Lactic acid is a three-carbon alpha-hydroxy carboxylic acid with the formula C3H6O3, existing as two enantiomers, L-(+)- and D-(-)-lactic acid, owing to its single chiral centre. It is produced biologically through the anaerobic glycolytic reduction of pyruvate by lactate dehydrogenase, a reaction that regenerates t…

Curated from this journal's research 📚 12 peer-reviewed articles cited Cited 156× across the literature 🔖 ISSN 2377-2549 🗓 Reviewed June 2026

Overview

Lactic acid is a three-carbon alpha-hydroxy carboxylic acid with the formula C3H6O3, existing as two enantiomers, L-(+)- and D-(-)-lactic acid, owing to its single chiral centre. It is produced biologically through the anaerobic glycolytic reduction of pyruvate by lactate dehydrogenase, a reaction that regenerates the cofactor needed to sustain energy production in muscle during intense activity and in many fermenting microorganisms. Industrially, lactic acid is manufactured predominantly by bacterial fermentation of carbohydrate feedstocks using lactic acid bacteria, with stereochemical control of the product being critical for downstream applications. Its acidulant, antimicrobial, and pH-modulating properties support widespread use as a food preservative and flavourant, while its hygroscopic and humectant character is exploited in cosmetics. A principal modern interest lies in lactic acid as the monomer for polylactic acid, a biodegradable and bioderived thermoplastic produced by ring-opening polymerisation of lactide, used in packaging, biomedical scaffolds, sutures, and controlled-release systems where the optical purity of the monomer determines crystallinity and degradation rate. As a renewable platform chemical bridging fermentation technology, polymer science, and pharmaceutical and food applications, lactic acid exemplifies the role of bio-based building blocks in sustainable chemistry and materials development.

Research published in this journal

12 peer-reviewed articles, ranked by relevance. Each links to its DOI.

How this research is being cited

The 12 articles above have been cited 156 times in the scholarly literature. Citation data via OpenAlex and Crossref, updated Jun 2026.

A sample of recent works citing this journal's research on Lactic Acid, linking to each citing work.

Editorial oversight

Curated from peer-reviewed research published in New Developments in Chemistry (ISSN 2377-2549).

Journal editorial board
Annarita Del Gatto · Italy Bharat Gurale · United States Palani ELUMALAI · United Kingdom

This page summarises published research for orientation; it is not medical or professional advice.