New Sustainable Oil Seed Sources of Omega-3 Long-Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: A Journey from the Ocean to the Field

Xue-Rong Zhou (), Zhuyun June Yao, Katrina Benedicto, Peter D. Nichols, Allan Green and Surinder Singh
Additional contact information
Xue-Rong Zhou: CSIRO Agriculture and Food, P.O. Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Zhuyun June Yao: Nuseed Nutritional US Inc., West Sacramento, CA 95605, USA
Katrina Benedicto: Nuseed Nutritional US Inc., West Sacramento, CA 95605, USA
Peter D. Nichols: CSIRO Environment, P.O. Box 1538, Hobart, TAS 7001, Australia
Allan Green: CSIRO Agriculture and Food, P.O. Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia
Surinder Singh: CSIRO Agriculture and Food, P.O. Box 1700, Canberra, ACT 2601, Australia

Sustainability, 2023, vol. 15, issue 14, 1-14

Abstract: Omega-3 long-chain (≥C 20 ) polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω3 LC-PUFA) play a critical physiological role in health and are nutritionally important for both humans and animals. The abundance of marine-derived resources of the health-benefitting ω3 LC-PUFA is either static or in some cases declining. This review focuses on the development and deregulation of novel oilseed crops producing ω3 LC-PUFA and their market applications. Genetic engineering of ω3 LC-PUFA into sustainable oilseed crops involving multiple-gene pathways to reach fish oil-like levels of these key nutrients has been extremely challenging. After two decades of collaborative effort, oilseed crops containing fish oil-levels of ω3 LC-PUFA and importantly also containing a high ω3/ω6 ratio have been developed. Deregulation of genetically engineered crops with such novel nutritional traits is also challenging and more trait-based regulations should be adopted. Some ω3 LC-PUFA-producing oilseed crops have been approved for large-scale cultivation, and for applications into feed and food. These genetically engineered oilseed crops can and will help meet the increasing market demand for aquaculture and human nutrition. These new oil seed sources of ω3 LC-PUFA offer a sustainable, safe, cost-effective, and scalable land-based solution, which can have critical and positive health, economic, and environmental impacts.

Keywords: aquafeed; DHA; DPA; EPA; ω3 LC-PUFA; oilseed crops; nutrition; regulatory; sustainability (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: O13 Q Q0 Q2 Q3 Q5 Q56 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2023
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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