HA bottled water produced by Bloomage on sale at a shopping mall in Beijing. Provided to China Daily

Expansion of products

The global HA market is poised for major growth, driven by both the cosmetics industry and increasing incidences of osteoarthritis and ophthalmic diseases in aging populations around the world, experts said at the Jinan conference in June.

HA manufacturers are also ramping up their research and development efforts to expand the liquid's applications in more fields. Bloomage spent 446 million yuan on R&D last year, a year-on-year increase of 14.98 percent. Freda spent 166 million yuan, a 10.11 percent yearly increase.

Bloomage has helped expand the use of HA products from traditional areas such as ophthalmology, orthopedics, medical aesthetics, and skin care to new areas including tissue engineering, gastrointestinal health, oral care, pet care and textiles.

Targeted technologies are necessary to unlock the potential use of HA in different fields, Liu said. For example, to use hyaluronic acid in hair care products, the technology must prevent water from rinsing away. For its use in lipsticks, advances are needed to change the molecular structure to make it able to be dissolved with oil.

Gao, of Freda, envisions vast opportunities for HA beyond cosmetics and medical use, particularly in the food and high-end agricultural sectors.

The National Health Commission has approved HA as a new food ingredient, allowing its incorporation into common food products in 2021.

"Unlike medicines that can have immediate effects, HA food products require a process," said Gao, adding that Freda has developed a drinkable HA product that is set to hit the market soon.

"The moisturizing and lubricating effects of HA can protect the gastric mucosa (a protective layer of mucous membrane in the stomach)," he said.

Gao said HA is beneficial in enhancing soil quality, improving plant nutrition, and elevating fruit quality. He said he had tasted an orange grown by the Agricultural Sciences Institute in soil enriched with hyaluronic acid, and it was "very juicy and sweet".

Jinan is also aiming to build its HA industrial base within three years to create a world-class hub for a complete industrial chain that integrates R&D, pilot experiments, production and sales.

The initiative will incorporate government policy support, collaborative innovation and financial support, and is expected to attract a cluster of HA-related companies.

Thirty-two companies involved in the HA business already have facilities in Jinan, the city government said.