Nutritional Enhancement of Farmed Salmon Meat for Human Healthvia Non-GMO Nannochloropsis gaditana : Eicosapentaenoic Acid (EPA, 20:5 n-3), Docosapentaenoic Acid (DPA, 22:5 n-3) and Vitamin D 3

• Published in: Molecules
• Main Authors: Ivonne Lozano-Muñoz, Susana Muñoz, Nelson F. Díaz, Alberto Medina, Jazmín Bazaes, Carlos Riquelme
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: MDPI AG 2020
• Subjects: eicosapentaenoic fatty acid (EPA; 20:5n-3); farmed salmon meat; Nannochloropsis gaditana; nutritional enhancement; vitamin D 3; Organic chemistry; QD241-441; Atlantic salmon
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.3390/molecules25204615; https://doaj.org/article/049a5287d9eb4ec3915859492621024a

Omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 LC PUFAs) and vitamin D 3 are essential components of human nutrition. A regular human diet is highly deficient in n-3 LC PUFAs. Fish like salmon are highly recommended in the human diet as they are a major source of high-value n-3 LC PUFAs and vitamin D 3. The levels of these nutrients have been decreasing over the last few years in farmed salmon, whose production urgently needs sustainable sources of these nutrients. The microalga Nannochloropsis gaditana (NG) is known for its naturally high potential for the production of eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 20:5 n-3) fatty acid. A commercial diet for Atlantic salmon was supplemented with 1% and 10% of spray-dried NG grown under controlled conditions for a high EPA content. Salmon were harvested on day 49, following which, boneless and skinless salmon meat was recovered from fish and analyzed for the fatty acid profile, total fat, and vitamin D 3 . Vitamin D 3 , EPA, and docosapentaenoic fatty acid (DPA, 22:5 n-3) levels were significantly increased ( p < 0.05) by supplementing the basal diet with 10% NG, thus, NG represents a novel, functional, natural ingredient and a sustainable source of n-3 LC-PUFAs that can raise the levels of healthy fats and vitamin D 3 in farmed salmon meat.