Green technologies for production of oils rich in n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids from aquatic sources

Abstract

Fish and algae are the major sources of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFAs). Globally, there is a rapid increase in demand for n-3 PUFA-rich oils. Conventional oil production processes use high temperature and chemicals, compromising the oil quality and the environment. Hence, alternative green technologies have been investigated for producing oils from aquatic sources. While most of the studies have focused on the oil extraction and enrichment of n-3 PUFAs, less effort has been directed toward green refining of oils from fish and algae. Enzymatic processing and ultrasound-assisted extraction with environment-friendly solvents are the most promising green technologies for extracting fish oil, whereas pressurized extractions are suitable for extracting microalgae oil. Lipase-catalysed ethanolysis of fish and algae oil is a promising green technology for enriching n-3 PUFAs. Green refining technologies such as phospholipase-and membraneassisted degumming deserve investigation for application in fish and algal oils. In the current review, we critically examined the currently existing research on technologies applied at each of the steps involved in the production of oils rich in n-3 PUFAs from fish and algae species. Special attention was placed on assessment of green technologies in comparison with conventional processing methods.

Nutritional and bioactive oils from salmon (Salmo salar) side streams obtained by Soxhlet and optimized microwave-assisted extraction

“…Nevertheless, the oil yield was not as efficient as expected (Bruno, Ekorong, Karkal, Cathrine, & Kudre, 2019). Recently, non-conventional extraction techniques such as supercritical fluid extraction, ultrasound-assisted extraction, and microwave-assisted extraction (MAE) have been proposed as potential sustainable methods for oil extraction from fish byproducts (Al Khawli et al, 2019;Alfio, Manzo, & Micillo, 2021;Bruno et al, 2019;Marsol-Vall, Aitta, Guo, & Yang, 2020).…”

Farmed Gilthead Sea Bream (Sparus aurata) by-Products Valorization: Viscera Oil ω-3 Enrichment by Short-Path Distillation and In Vitro Bioactivity Evaluation

“…It is well-known that marine oils are an excellent source of ω-3 long chain, polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), including eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). These particular classes of PUFA are common in marine organisms; in particular, PUFAs are synthesized in microalgae and tend to significantly accumulate in fatty fish and in the oil extracted from these organisms and their by-products [1,[4][5][6][7][8][9].…”

From Fish Waste to Value: An Overview of the Sustainable Recovery of Omega-3 for Food Supplements

“…Advantages are decreased extraction time and solvent consumption while the major drawbacks are the high power consumption and the difficulty of scale-up [57]. The number of publications about the application of this method in fish oil extraction is scarce, but yields seem to be comparable or higher than those of conventional methods [59,60].…”