Omega-3 Enriched Fish and Shellfish Oils: Extraction, Preservation, and Health Benefits

Fish oil is a rich source of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, which are crucial for the treatment of several chronic diseases. Fish and shellfish processing discards have been widely utilized as raw materials for oil extraction. Conventional methods including wet reduction, enzymatic-assisted, and solvent-assisted extraction processes result in lower oil recovery, reduced nutritive value, and high amounts of solvent used, respectively. To overcome these limitations, alternative novel extraction technologies have been employed, which increase the yield of oil with minimum loss of nutrients and less usage of solvent. Fish oil is highly susceptible to oxidation that led to the generation of undesirable odor and the formation of toxic compounds. Recent findings for the preservation and stabilization using various techniques are addressed. Some active compounds in fish oil such as astaxanthin and squalene are revisited. Also, the health benefits and viable application of n-3 fatty acids and the selected active components on human health are summarized.