Why is Antactic krill (Euphasia superba) oil on the spotlight? A review

• Published in: Food Production, Processing and Nutrition
• Main Authors: Fereidoon Shahidi, Abrehem Abad
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2024
• Subjects: Krill oil (Euphausia superba); Extraction technologies; Chemical composition; Applications; Health benefits; Nutrition. Foods and food supply; TX341-641; Food processing and manufacture; TP368-456; Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctic Krill; Euphausia superba
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.1186/s43014-024-00260-6; https://doaj.org/article/9ce787c8cc8c48c0ae5f855971de69b8

Abstract Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) oil is attracting more interest for its nutritional as well as functional potentials. Nevertheless, its potential as new and innovative food component remains largely unexplored. This review aims to outline the chemical composition, extraction methods, and health advantages of krill oil, offering insights for its utilization and provides evidence why it is now on the spotlight. Krill oil presents a distinctive fat profile, rich in lipid classes, with phospholipids (PLs) comprising a significant portion (38.93—79.99%) with high levels of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Additionally, it includes several minor bioactive components like astaxanthin, tocopherols, sterols, flavonoids, and vitamin A. Various extraction technics, including solvent and solvent-free extraction, enzyme-assisted pretreatment extraction, super/subcritical fluid extraction, significantly influence both output as well as standard of the resulting product. Furthermore, the oil had been linked to a number of health advantages, including prevention of cardiovascular disease (CVD), anti-inflammatory effects, support for women's physiology, anticancer activities, as well as neuroprotection, among others. Despite the commercial availability of krill oil products as dietary supplement, there is a scarcity of studies exploring the underlying molecular mechanisms responsible for its various biological activities. Despite this, apply krill oil as an innovative food ingredient has not been thoroughly investigated. This review consolidates information on the chemical composition, extraction techniques, possible health advantages, as well as existing uses as applications, aiming to offer insights for its complete exploitation. In addition, it attempts to unravel the fundamental molecular mechanisms that being investigated to deeply understand how krill oil produces various biological effects. Graphical Abstract