College of Agriculture and Life Sciences
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What Do Biodiesel and Omega-3 Fatty Acids Have in Common?
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What Do Biodiesel and Omega-3 Fatty Acids Have in Common?
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| Researchers can feed omega-3 fortified algae to fish in an aquaculture facility, such as the juvenile cobia shown here at Virginia Cobia Farms in Saltville, Va. |
Even though omega-3 fatty acids may reduce the risk of coronary heart disease, Americans aren’t exactly fighting over fish oil in grocery store aisles. Zhiyou Wen, assistant professor of biological systems engineering, has found not only an alternative source for these healthful compounds but also a way to inject them into the American diet without resorting to unpopular food supplements.
Wen and his colleagues have developed a novel fermentation process using microalgae to produce omega-3 fatty acids from crude glycerol, a by-product of the biodiesel industry. “High energy prices have led to an increase in biodiesel production, which in turn has led to an increase in the amount of crude glycerol in the market,” he explains.
During production, biodiesel plants leave behind approximately 10 percent crude glycerol. Although the pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries use glycerol extensively, the cost to purify the crude product is prohibitively high. And the more glycerol on the market because of the expanding biodiesel industry, the lower its price. Right now, industry officials are searching for economical ways to dispose of the excess by-product.
“I thought to myself, ‘If I can use the waste material from the biodiesel industry to address the lack of omega-3s in the American diet, then I have found an alternative solution to the crude glycerol problem and cut the cost that would be needed to refine it,’ ” Wen says.
| "The results so far have been promising. The fish fed the algae had significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids," says Wen. |
Crude glycerol, as it turns out, is a great carbon source for microalgae, which are natural “factories” for omega-3 fatty acids.
“After thorough chemical analysis, we have also shown that the algae biomass composition has the same quality as the commercial algae product,” he adds. In fact, some of Wen’s research hints that the impurities in the crude glycerol improve algae growth.
After growing algae in the crude glycerol, researchers feed it to animals, such as fish. This mimics a process in nature where fish consume other aquatic organisms like small shrimp, krill, and other algae-eating crustaceans, retaining the omega-3s in their bodies. By the time a tilapia, for example, reaches the dinner table, these healthful compounds will be ready for human consumption. Wen has partnered with Steven Craig, senior research scientist at a commercial fish farm, to test the algae procured from crude glycerol as a fish feed.
“The results so far have been promising,” Wen says. “The fish fed the algae had significant amounts of omega-3 fatty acids.”
Wen and his colleagues are trying to add omega-3 fatty acids to other foods, too. Audrey McElroy, associate professor of animal and poultry sciences, is working with Wen to determine whether glycerol-derived algae are an acceptable chicken feed. If so, chicken and eggs fortified with heart-healthy omega-3s might line grocery store shelves in the future. This would not only provide more options for health-conscious consumers but also give poultry producers a way to add value to their products.
Virginia Tech researchers are still trying to answer questions about the applications of Wen’s process. Kumar Mallikarjunan, associate professor of biological systems engineering, is investigating the fate of omega-3s after they enter the food supply. Scientists still do not know whether oxidation has a major impact on omega-3 fatty acids stored in cheese, for example. Omega-3 fatty acids could become oxidized by the time the cheese reaches the dinner table, and therefore, not available for their intended purpose. In his work to reduce the effect of oxidation, Mallikarjunan has identified natural antioxidants that extend the quality of omega-3 rich lipids in mozzarella cheese for nearly three weeks.
Research funding has come from the Virginia Agricultural Council, U.S. Poultry and Egg Association, Fats and Proteins Research Foundation, Virginia Sea Grant, and Virginia Commercial Fisheries and Shellfish Technologies.