title: Opportunities to enhance alternative sources of long-chain n-3 fatty acids within the diet.
abstract: Health benefits or advocated health benefits of long-chain (LC) n-3 PUFA are better known by medical doctors as well as by consumers, so that consumption increases. In addition, the development of aquaculture requires more fishmeal and fish oil. Humanisation of care of companion animals is also associated with addition of LC n-3 PUFA in pet foods. The risk of the increased demand for LC n-3 PUFA is the excess harvesting of natural sources, especially of marine origin (oily fishes, krill). In order to improve sustainability, alternative sources of LC n-3 PUFA have been developed. These alternative sources are: (a) terrestrial plants naturally or genetically enriched in stearidonic acid (SDA), which bypasses the first limiting step of (i.e. ∆6 desaturase) of the biosynthesis of LC n-3 PUFA; (b) single-cell oils rich in LC n-3 PUFA (microalgae, Escherichia coli) and krill. Currently, plants rich in SDA are expensive, metabolic engineering is unfavourably accepted by consumers in many countries, cultivation of microalgae is very expensive even though their ability (for some of them) to synthesise biofuels could induce a decrease in industrial costs, and Antarctic krill harvest must be restricted. Thus, it is difficult to predict their real development in the future.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Breton Federation of Food and Human Nutrition, University Hospital of Brest,University of Brest,Brest,France.
authors.forename: Jacques
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Delarue
authors.affiliation: Department of Nutritional Sciences, Breton Federation of Food and Human Nutrition, University Hospital of Brest,University of Brest,Brest,France.
authors.forename: Nathalie
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Guriec
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017756:Aquaculture; D003247:Conservation of Natural Resources; D004032:Diet; D004041:Dietary Fats; D004926:Escherichia coli; D033201:Euphausiacea; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils; D005399:Fishes; D006801:Humans; D058086:Microalgae; D010944:Plants
chemical_list: D004041:Dietary Fats; D015525:Fatty Acids, Omega-3; D005395:Fish Oils; C062895:stearidonic acid