Very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids from natural oils
AssigneeEpax Norway AS
InventorsHarald BREIVIK, Harald SVENSEN
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Abstract
A method of producing a composition comprising a high concentration of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (VLCPUFAs) from natural oils such as fish oil, squid oil, algal oil and krill oil. In addition, a composition comprising a high concentration of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids isolated from such natural sources; as well as to a process for isolating separate fractions of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids having identical chain lengths but different degrees of unsaturation from such highly concentrated compositions is disclosed.
Claims25
1-31. (canceled)
A method for obtaining an enriched composition of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids from a natural oil composition comprising the steps of:
- A) hydrolyzing an oil composition derived from natural sources and comprising very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids with a base in the presence of an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of C1-C5 alcohols and ketones of the formula R1(C═O)R2 wherein R1 and R2 are each independently C1-C5 alkyl, and water to form a composition comprising free fatty acid salts of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids;
- B) reacting the composition comprising free fatty acid salts of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids formed in step A) with an acid to form a composition comprising very long chain polyunsaturated free fatty acids;
- and
- C) concentrating the very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids present in the composition comprising very long chain polyunsaturated free fatty acids to produce an enriched composition comprising at least 5% by weight of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.
A method for obtaining an enriched composition of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids from a natural oil composition comprising the steps of:
- a) hydrolyzing an oil composition derived from natural sources and comprising very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids with a base in the presence of an organic solvent selected from the group consisting of C1-C5 alcohols and ketones of the formula R1(C═O)R2 wherein R1 and R2 are each independently C1-C5 alkyl, and water to form a composition comprising free fatty acid salts of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids;
- b) subjecting such composition to conditions such that (i) a precipitate and (ii) a filtrate comprising free fatty acid salts of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids are formed;
- c) removing the precipitate to obtain a filtrate comprising free fatty acid salts of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids;
- d) reacting the filtrate comprising free fatty acid salts of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids with an acid to form a composition comprising very long chain polyunsaturated free fatty acids;
- and
- e) concentrating the very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids present in the composition comprising very long chain polyunsaturated free fatty acids to produce an enriched composition comprising at least 5% by weight of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids.
A process for isolating separate fractions of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids having identical chain lengths but different degrees of unsaturation from a composition comprising such a mixture of said polyunsaturated fatty acids, comprising subjecting such fraction to urea fractionation.
An enriched composition comprising at least 5% by weight of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids derived from fish oil, squid oil, krill oil or algal oil.
A nutraceutical or pharmaceutical composition comprising (a) at least 5% by weight of very long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids derived from a natural source;
- and (b) at least 5% by weight of one or more C20-C22 polyunsaturated fatty acids.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.