European researchers have developed a sustainable source of purified docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). These act as building blocks to create high-value products for nutrition and pharmaceutical applications.
There is a growing market for omega-3 fatty acids, which are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Those most in demand are DHA and EPA, which are present in large amounts of fish oil. However, PUFA exploitation from fish is not sustainable and the concentration of DHA and EPA in fish oil varies considerably depending on location, the season and availability of phytoplankton.
Further details: Accelerated commercialisation of algae products with pharmaceutical and nutritional potential