This technology is a three-step manufacturing process that first concentrates omega-3 fatty acids from fatty acid-containing materials via solvent crystallization, performs secondary concentration through enzyme-catalyzed ethanolysis, and finally converts them into triglycerides by esterification with glycerol using Lipozyme 435. By combining non-enzymatic and enzymatic methods, high-purity omega-3 triglycerides are obtained.
Demand for omega-3 fatty acids is growing due to their benefits for cardiovascular health, eye health, and immune support. However, existing concentration methods—such as molecular distillation, supercritical extraction, urea fractionation, and silver salt separation—suffer from low concentration efficiency and yield compared to the raw oil. Furthermore, there has been a lack of technology for the mass production of high-purity products in triglyceride form, which offers superior bioavailability and oxidative stability.
This technology involves crystallizing free fatty acids in acetonitrile at -30 to -40°C at a 1:8 to 1:12 weight ratio for 2–4 hours, followed by vacuum filtration to recover the liquid fraction. It then uses Lipozyme RM IM (4–6 wt%) to perform ethanolysis at a 1:1 to 1:2 molar ratio at 20–30°C. Finally, the concentrated fatty acids are mixed with glycerol at a 1:2 to 1:3 molar ratio and reacted with Lipozyme 435 (10–20 wt%) at 60–70°C under 5–20 torr vacuum for 4–8 hours. Raw materials can include fish oil (e.g., tuna oil), vegetable, microbial, or algal oils. Applicable to high-content omega-3 supplements, pharmaceutical ingredients, and the value-added processing of tuna by-products, this method enables efficient mass production of highly bioavailable and stable triglyceride-form omega-3s.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for the synthesis of high-concentration ω-3 fatty acid oils via two-stage enzymatic reactions.
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