Biological, physical, and chemical properties of fish oil and industrial applications

Abstract

In the recent past, there has been an increasing demand for fish oil in the pharmaceutical industry, due to the findings of the health benefits provided by omega-3 fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Fish oils are unique in the variety of fatty acids of which they are composed, and are an excellent source of the highly unsaturated C20 and C22 omega-3 fatty acids of medical interest. In the past, fish oil was mainly used as an important ingredient in aquaculture feeds and was also used in feeds for livestock, such as poultry and swine. Due to increasing awareness on the potential health beneficial roles of omega-3 fatty acids in humans, there has been an increasing interest in the use of fish oils for human consumption. The nutritional and physical properties of fish oil have made hardened fish oils an attractive constituent in the human diet. A wide range of food products containing fish oils have been launched over the past decade. The instability of EPA and DHA and the fishy odor have become major problems in incorporating long-chain omega-3 oils into food products. There is an established market for dietary supplements, as well as a developing market for food ingredients produced from fish oils and concentrates of fish oil. Increasing scientific evidence in the health beneficial roles of fish oil has led to a tremendous growth in its use in the pharmaceutical industry and it is expected to play a dominant role in the future.