New perspectives of omega-3 fatty acids from diatoms

Abstract

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fatty acids that are vital for human food consumption and metabolism. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), two long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (LC-PUFAs), are primarily obtained from diatoms in the oceanic food web. Though microalgae are the main producers of EPA and DHA, but currently, only few algal strains are known to produce large levels of EPA and DHA. The demand for nutraceuticals has significantly increased because of people’s increased awareness and health consciousness. Due to foods being the concentrated supply of omega-3 PUFAs (polyunsaturated fatty acids), this has increased the demands on aquatic sources of n-3 PUFAs. Micro-algal sources must be carefully examined due to the numerous drawbacks and difficulties of fish oils and the lack of DHA and EPA in plant sources. This review focuses on the current state of omega-3 PUFA (polyunsaturated fatty acids) production, sources, and market demand to provide an overview of sources that are being explored for sustainability as well as current and anticipated market trends in the omega-3 industry. This will make it possible for them to be produced on a wide scale for the benefit of human health.