So, not all long chain fatty acids confer health benefits. Flax seed for example is a healthy food choice, but the Omega 3 fatty acid you find in flax seed is alpha linoleic acid, which isn't as heart healthy as other types. Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid(DHA) are the long chain fatty acids produced by algae, which accumulate in the fish that eat the algae, and the animals that eat the algae eaters. These are the fatty acids which have big health benefits for humans who consume them.
Unfortunately, the main source of these fatty acids is wild fish. There has been tremendous pressure on global fish oil, driven for the most part by expansive aquaculture use of the fish oil in fish feeds. The price of the commodity has risen from roughly $650 per metric ton to over $1600 per metric ton today. With global stocks of the fish used to make oil under severe pressure, the need to find sustainable alternatives for both fish farming and human consumption is high.
Up until now, the capability of producing oil seeds that can synthesize the same pathways that algae use has been elusive. But now, a team of researchers at the prestigious Rothamsted Research station have developed a strain of camelina that has been engineered to include the pathways needed for EPA and DHA synthesis:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tpj.12378/abstract
They came up with two strains, one which can produce up to 31% EPA, and another which can produce up to 12% EPA and 14% DHA. These values are comparable to values obtained from wild fish.
This is groundbreaking research, with large implications for both human and ecological health. With the scale up of terrestrial agriculture, the pressure on fishing stocks in the future can be reduced, and a sustainable alternative that benefits human health can be achieved. As a bonus, camelina can be grown on marginal lands.
Unfortunately, the main source of these fatty acids is wild fish. There has been tremendous pressure on global fish oil, driven for the most part by expansive aquaculture use of the fish oil in fish feeds. The price of the commodity has risen from roughly $650 per metric ton to over $1600 per metric ton today. With global stocks of the fish used to make oil under severe pressure, the need to find sustainable alternatives for both fish farming and human consumption is high.
Up until now, the capability of producing oil seeds that can synthesize the same pathways that algae use has been elusive. But now, a team of researchers at the prestigious Rothamsted Research station have developed a strain of camelina that has been engineered to include the pathways needed for EPA and DHA synthesis:
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/tpj.12378/abstract
They came up with two strains, one which can produce up to 31% EPA, and another which can produce up to 12% EPA and 14% DHA. These values are comparable to values obtained from wild fish.
This is groundbreaking research, with large implications for both human and ecological health. With the scale up of terrestrial agriculture, the pressure on fishing stocks in the future can be reduced, and a sustainable alternative that benefits human health can be achieved. As a bonus, camelina can be grown on marginal lands.
