DHA-containing nutritional compositions and methods for their production

A method for preparing a DHA- and ARA-containing particulate material comprising drying a slurry containing polar lipids extracted from dinoflagellates and fungi, wherein the dried material is in the form of particles having a mean particle diameter between 5 and 10 microns.

A method for preparing a DHA and ARA-containing particulate material comprising lysing DHA-containing and ARA-containing microbial cells;

• extracting lysed cells with solvent;
• separating a polar lipid fraction from the extract;
• and drying the polar lipid fraction, with or without addition of other nutrients, to form aparticulate material.

An aqueous emulsion or suspension containing phospholipids with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) residues and arachidonic acid (ARA) containing residues prepared by Homogenizing with water a polar lipid extract from DHA-containing microbes and ARA-containing microbes.

A composition comprising a particulate material containing phospholipids with DHA and ARA prepared by drying a slurry comprising a polar lipid extract from DHA-containing microbes and ARA-containing microbes and a meal containing protein, carbohydrate, or both.

A method of aquaculture comprising

• feeding particulate material containing a polar lipid extract from microbes comprising phospholipid with DHA residues and phospholipid with ARA residues to live larval feed organisms comprising artemia, rotifers, or a combination thereof to enrich DHA and ARA levels in the larval organisms;
• and
• feeding DHA- and ARA-enriched live larval organisms to fish larva, bivalves, crustaceans, or a combination thereof.

A method of aquaculture comprising

• feeding particulate material containing a polar lipid extract from microbes comprising phospholipid with DHA residues and phospholipid with ARA residues to bivalves and/or crustaceans.