Lactic acid and its potential applications in industries

Lactic acid is the simplest hydroxyl carboxylic acid with an asymmetrical carbon atom. It is produced by either fermentation or chemical synthesis. Lactic acid is widely used in various industries such as food, cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and chemical industries. It is mainly used as a monomer for the production of the bio degradable poly lactic acid (PLA). There have been various attempts to produce lactic acid by fermentation method using bacteria and fungi by using various cheap raw materials. This review explains various industrial applications of lactic acid.