Producing Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids: A Review of Sustainable Sources and Future Trends for the EPA and DHA Market

Laura Oliver, Thomas Dietrich, Izaskun Marañón, Maria Carmen Villarán and Ramón J. Barrio
Additional contact information
Laura Oliver: Health and Food Area, Health Division, TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Tecnológico de Álava, c/Leonardo Da Vinci no. 11, 01510 Miñano, Spain
Thomas Dietrich: Health and Food Area, Health Division, TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Tecnológico de Álava, c/Leonardo Da Vinci no. 11, 01510 Miñano, Spain
Izaskun Marañón: Health and Food Area, Health Division, TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Tecnológico de Álava, c/Leonardo Da Vinci no. 11, 01510 Miñano, Spain
Maria Carmen Villarán: Health and Food Area, Health Division, TECNALIA, Basque Research and Technology Alliance (BRTA), Parque Tecnológico de Álava, c/Leonardo Da Vinci no. 11, 01510 Miñano, Spain
Ramón J. Barrio: Department of Analytical Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU), Paseo de la Universidad 7, 01006 Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain

Resources, 2020, vol. 9, issue 12, 1-15

Abstract: Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (Omega-3 PUFA) are recognized as being essential compounds for human nutrition and health. The human body generates only low levels of Omega-3 PUFA. Conventional sources of Omega-3 PUFA are from marine origin. However, the global growth of population combined with a better consumer understanding about healthy nutrition leads to the fact that traditional sources are exhausted and therefore not enough to satisfy the demand of Omega-3 PUFA for human diet as well as aquaculture. Microalgae cultivated under heterotrophic conditions is increasingly recognized as a suitable technology for the production of the Omega-3 PUFA. The high cost of using glucose as main carbon source for cultivation is the main challenge to establish economical feasible production processes. The latest relevant studies provide alternative pathways for Omega-3 PUFA production. As preliminary results show, volatile fatty acids (VFA) recovered from waste stream could be a good alternative to the use of glucose as carbon source in microalgae cultivation. The purpose of this paper is to highlight the actual situation of Omega-3 PUFA production, sources and market request to provide a summary on sustainable sources that are being investigated as well as present and future market trends in Omega-3 market.

Keywords: heterotrophic microalgae; sustainable sources; volatile fatty acid; docosahexaenoic acid; market trends; nutrition (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2020
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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