OMEGA-3 POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS FROM ALGAE

最近的流行病学和临床调查表明， 膳食补充剂与 多不饱和脂肪酸（PUFA），尤其是ω-3 PUFA， 降低冠心病的发病率。 临床 人们的兴趣集中在omega-3 PUFA在食品中的潜在用途上， 治疗高脂血症和高胆固醇血症。 目前，omega-3多不饱和脂肪酸的唯一来源是油 从某些海洋鱼类。 然而，许多种类的藻类也 产生大量的omega-3多不饱和脂肪酸，我们相信， 这群生物可以提供宝贵的食物来源 用于临床试验和/或食品添加剂测试 使用藻类单一培养。 确定技术 该战略的可行性（第一阶段）将涉及以下方面： 长期目标： - 在几种产生omega-3 PUFA的藻类物种中建立， 文化 - 优化生长条件，确定最大 ω-3 PUFA生产率。 - 在制备过程中提取和纯化omega-3 PUFA 是介于 如果确定了相对于鱼油来源的显著优势， 第二阶段的工作将包括扩大生产规模， 目标是增加特定的omega-3 PUFA产量， 通过菌株改良和基因改造获得藻类资源。

Recent epidemiological and clinical investigations have indicated a significant correlation between dietary supplements of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), especially omega-3 PUFA's, and reduced incidence of coronary heart disease. Clinical interests have focused on potential usage of omega-3 PUFA's in the treatment of hypercholesteremia and hypertriglyceridemia. At present the only source of omega-3 PUFA's is oil expressed from certain marine fishes. However, many species of algae also produce large amounts of omega-3 PUFA's and we believe that this group of organisms could provide an invaluable supply source of omega-3 PUFA's for clinical trials and/or food additive testing using algal monoculture. Determination of the technological feasibility (Phase I) of this strategy will involve the following near term objectives: - Establish in several omega-3 PUFA producing algal species in culture. - Optimize the growth conditions and determine the maximum omega-3 PUFA productivities. - Extract and purify the omega-3 PUFA's in preparative quantities. If significant advantages over the fish oil source are identified, the Phase II effort will involve scale-up production and an effort targeted to increase the specific omega-3 PUFA outputs from our algal sources by strain improvement and genetic modification.