Sustainable production of health-promoting n-3 LCPUFA using agro food industry by-products through microalgae
Introduction / Background
Scientific evidence points out that an appropriate intake of n-3 LCPUFA, widely known as 'omega-3', exhibits protective effect on human health. It is recognized that regular consumption of marine n-3 LCPUFA, eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5 n-3; EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (22:6 n-3; DHA) reduces risk of chronic and inflammatory diseases. The use of fish and fish oil, as main sources of n-3 LCPUFA is increasingly becoming under pressure due to serious public health and ecological concerns. Fish oil quality is dependent on fish diet, it may contain harmful contamination and from sustainability perspective there is a growing issue related to the resilience of current n-3 LCPUFA sources.
The main idea of this project is the production of n-3 LCPUFA trough an algae oil production chain, which implies a sustainable approach related to the use of food waste and exploitation of marine n-3 LCPUFA sources. The development of an innovative, cost effective and sustainable process for the production of n-3 LCPUFA will increase the resilience of the current supply chain of n-3 LCPUFA and lower the final cost for these, presently expensive, ingredients, consequently allowing the wider use of n-3 LCPUFA in food consumer goods.
Health-promoting algae n-3 LCPUFA produced in a sustainable way will be incorporated in formulations in order to create high added values food products intended to improve the health status of the consumer.
Aim
The objective of the SUSPUFA project, is to develop an innovative process for sustainable production of high value n-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LCPUFA), using agro food industry by-products through microalgae cultivation and to evaluate the produced n-3 LCPUFAs as fish oil replacement for incorporation in food formulations.
Expected results
Development of specific conditions for efficient and sustainable n-3 LCPUFA production through microalgae using agro food by-products and wastes as nutrient source for microalgae growth.
Keywords
n-3 LCPUFA, microalgae, sustainable production, agro food by-products
Project consortium
Coordinated by
Prof. Harry Wichers - Wageningen University and Research THE NETHERLANDS
Partners
- ITALY: Università degli Studi di Napoli 'Federico II'
- FRANCE: University Pierre et Marie Curie - Paris 6 and Inalve SAS
- SPAIN: University of Granada
- THE NETHERLANDS: Nutricia Research B.V.
- SERBIA: University Novi Sad
Runtime project
The SUSPUFA project started on 01/05/2018 and runs until 31/12/2021.
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More information
Research articles
- All Publications
- Sustainable production of food grade omega-3 oil using aquatic protists: Reliability and future horizons
- Specific Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids Can Modulate in vitroHuman moDC2s and Subsequent Th2 Cytokine Release
- Long Chain Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids (LCPUFAs) in the prevention and treatment of Food Allergy
- Establishment of acid hydrolysis by Box-Behnken methodology as pretreatment to obtain reducing sugars from tiger nut by-products
- Book chapter Microalgae as a source of edible oils