Supercritical CO2 processing of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids – Towards a biorefinery for fish waste valorization

Driven by growing prevalence of chronic diseases and consumer’s health awareness, food supplements and nutraceuticals based on omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are extensively marketed nowadays. However, commercial omega-3 concentrates still present quality issues related to their purity,...

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Bibliographic Details
Authors: Melgosa Gómez, Rodrigo, Sanz Díez, Mª Teresa, Beltrán Calvo, Sagrario
Format: article
Status:Versión aceptada para publicación
Publication Date:2020
Country:España
Institution:Universidad de Burgos (UBU)
Repository:Repositorio Institucional de la Universidad de Burgos (RIUBU)
OAI Identifier:oai:riubu.ubu.es:10259/5576
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10259/5576
Access Level:Open access
Keyword:Fish oil
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids
Biorefinery
Supercritical carbon dioxide
Enzyme
Ingeniería química
Alimentos
Chemical engineering
Food
Description
Summary:Driven by growing prevalence of chronic diseases and consumer’s health awareness, food supplements and nutraceuticals based on omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) are extensively marketed nowadays. However, commercial omega-3 concentrates still present quality issues related to their purity, bioavailability, and easily-oxidizable nature, compelling the industry to seek for more efficient extraction, concentration and formulation methods. Technologies based on the use of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) are a promising alternative, replacing conventional organic solvents and providing milder conditions and an inert atmosphere, which reduce the risk of oxidation. The present review analyzes the latest advances on the use of scCO2 for processing omega-3 PUFAs, focusing on its application in biorefinery strategies for the valorization of fish by-products. Still, further research on process fundamentals is necessary in order to increase the omega-3 yield and purity while reducing the use of energy and auxiliary materials, especially in the transesterification and concentration steps.