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Active pharmaceutical ingredients

Contipro produces hyaluronic acid through a biotechnological process and offers it in a wide range of molecular weights. This makes it a reliable pharmaceutical raw material for partners looking for a pure, controlled and well-documented material for their own development or production.

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A reliable foundation
for pharmaceutical development

Hyaluronic acid is an unbranched polysaccharide naturally found in the human body. It is part of the extracellular matrix and is present in higher concentrations, for example, in synovial fluid, the eyes and the skin.

Its properties differ depending on molecular weight. That is why, during development, it is important to choose the right type of hyaluronan according to the intended use, required parameters and application area.

Sodium hyaluronate

Molecular weight 250–2,300 kDa

High-molecular-weight sodium hyaluronate for pharmaceutical, medical and development applications where high molecular weight and stable raw material quality are important.

Product specification

Applications in health care

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Sodium hyaluronate

Molecular weight 7–250 kDa

Low-molecular-weight sodium hyaluronate for specialist applications where shorter chain length, different material properties or specific development requirements play an important role.

Product specification

Applications in health care

Free sample request

Hyaluronic acid or sodium hyaluronate?

In practice, the terms hyaluronic acid, hyaluronan and sodium hyaluronate are often used quite loosely.
For professional use, however, it is important to understand that the market commonly works mainly with salts of hyaluronic acid, most often with sodium hyaluronate.

Sodium hyaluronate is stable and, in an aqueous environment, acts as a source of the same hyaluronan anion.
The differences in use are therefore not determined only by the name, but mainly by the molecular weight, purity, quality and other parameters of the specific material.

People are often confused about the actual difference between hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate. If you search Google for “hyaluronic acid vs. sodium hyaluronate”, the number of articles and discussions clearly shows that this remains a hot topic.

We reviewed the first 10 results offered by Google, 9 of which were directly related to the cosmetics industry, and we were surprised by what we found. We found errors and misleading information in all of them.

Hyaluronic acid vs. sodium hyaluronate in nature and the human body

Hyaluronic acid, also known as hyaluronan, is a polysaccharide — a non-sulphated glycosaminoglycan. Today, the term hyaluronan is used more often mainly because this polysaccharide occurs in nature in the form of a salt, not in the form of an acid.

The salt consists of hyaluronan anions and a cation, such as sodium, potassium, calcium and others. Hyaluronic acid itself also exists, but usually only in chemical laboratories, because it degrades quickly and its solution is highly acidic.

For these reasons, hyaluronic acid is not found in living organisms under physiological conditions. Organic chemists sometimes use forms of hyaluronic acid because it is soluble in certain organic solvents, which is advantageous for specific types of chemical reactions, for example in the preparation of some hyaluronic acid derivatives.

However, chemists prepare hyaluronic acid from its salts, for example using ion exchangers that replace sodium cations with hydrogen cations.

Both hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate can dissolve in water, where they dissociate into the same anion. This means that in cosmetic products, you ultimately find the same molecule.

Hyaluronic acid vs. sodium hyaluronate on the market

Due to problems with the stability of the acid, and also because manufacturers use organisms as the source of hyaluronan, such as certain microorganisms, rooster combs or bovine vitreous humour, hyaluronic acid itself is not found on the market — only its salts are.

The term hyaluronic acid is therefore used in marketing as a synonym for its salts. In the cosmetics industry, hyaluronic acid also exists in INCI terminology, but even here it is only a synonym for salts.

The name refers to sodium hyaluronate, which is the most commonly sold type of hyaluronic acid salt. Other available salts of hyaluronic acid include potassium hyaluronate with the same INCI designation, or calcium salts of hyaluronic acid, which do not have an INCI designation.

Lower-molecular-weight sodium hyaluronate is listed in INCI as hydrolysed hyaluronic acid.

Does hyaluronic acid have a smaller molecular size than sodium hyaluronate?

There is no difference in molecular size between hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate. In theory, both molecules can have a wide range of molecular weights.

However, hyaluronic acid itself is not stable and degrades easily, which makes it very difficult to prepare high-molecular-weight hyaluronic acid.

Application

It is often said that hyaluronic acid cannot be absorbed through topical application and can only be used by injection, while sodium hyaluronate penetrates the skin.

However, for the reasons described above, hyaluronic acid itself is not present on the market at all. It is always a salt of hyaluronic acid, most often sodium hyaluronate.

The penetration of sodium hyaluronate depends on its molecular weight. High-molecular-weight sodium hyaluronate is indeed a large molecule that does not penetrate the skin, while lower-molecular-weight sodium hyaluronate penetrates the skin more easily.

Several scientific studies already support this phenomenon.

Sodium hyaluronate was created by scientists to increase the stability of hyaluronic acid and reduce the likelihood of its oxidation

This claim is partly true. Sodium hyaluronate is in fact more stable than hyaluronic acid. However, it is always produced by organisms in the form of a salt, so there is no need for scientists to “create” it.

On the contrary, hyaluronic acid is “created” from its salts. Sodium hyaluronate is not obtained by a chemical reaction between hyaluronic acid and sodium hydroxide.

Sodium hyaluronate is produced by animals or microorganisms as the final desired product, with no additional chemical reactions required. The product only needs to be isolated from the organisms using various techniques, including filtration, precipitation and washing.

Hyaluronic acid vs. sodium hyaluronate

The names hyaluronic acid and sodium hyaluronate are used as synonyms referring to sodium hyaluronate. Therefore, there is no difference between them in their physical, chemical or biological properties.

HYALURONÁT SODNÝ 250–2300 kDa

A clean production route

Contipro uses modern biotechnological production of hyaluronic acid.

This process makes it possible to obtain hyaluronan in a controlled way, without the use of animal-derived raw materials and with a focus on the quality of the final product.

Thanks to our own production and development facilities, we have control over key parameters and can offer partners a raw material for demanding specialist applications.

Need a specification or sample?

Are you looking for pharmaceutical-grade hyaluronic acid for development, production or professional testing?
Get in touch with us. We will be happy to provide a detailed specification, help you choose the right molecular weight or direct you to the responsible business team.