Source of DHA
Currently, the main sources of DHA are marine fish and seaweed. Fish oil is a traditional source of DHA and refers to the oil extracted from fish or fish by-products. Fish oil with higher DHA content is mainly obtained from marine fish species rich in omega-3 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, especially from mid-to-upper-level fish species. Fish oil has been widely used in the early food industry. However, with the overfishing of fish and the increasing scarcity of global fisheries resources, there have been some issues associated with obtaining DHA from fish oil. These include the accumulation of persistent organic pollutants in marine fish, higher cholesterol content and fishy taste in DHA derived from fish oil, and the presence of large amounts of other saturated and low unsaturated fatty acids, making the purification and concentration of DHA difficult, resulting in complex processing and increased production costs. Therefore, extracting and isolating DHA from fish oil currently cannot meet society's demands in terms of quantity and quality. As a result, researchers both domestically and internationally have been focusing on finding safer and higher-quality raw materials for DHA extraction.
The reason fish contain DHA is because they consume DHA-rich microalgae and related planktonic organisms in the ocean, and DHA accumulates in their bodies through the food chain. Therefore, research has gradually shifted towards extracting DHA from natural microalgae. Utilizing microalgae to produce DHA can not only compensate for the limitations of fish oil resources but also offers advantages over traditional fish oil. Microbial oils have a simpler fatty acid composition, simpler purification processes, no fishy taste, and are suitable as food additives. They have high utilization rates, are suitable for industrial production, and offer significant health benefits. Thraustochytrids are one type of marine fungi algae that are rich in DHA. Their biochemical components mainly consist of lipids, proteins, and total sugars, with lipid content accounting for 50% of the cell dry weight, and DHA can reach as high as 20% of the lipids. About 90% of the lipid content exists in the form of neutral lipids, specifically glycerol triacylglycerols, which are easily absorbed by the human body. Additionally, they contain beneficial active substances accumulated in their cells, such as pigments (carotenoids, lutein, astaxanthin), and compounds like squalene.
In order to facilitate the large-scale development and utilization of Schizochytrium, detailed and comprehensive safety evaluations have been conducted. These evaluations include subacute toxicity experiments on rats, toxicity experiments on rat development and reproduction, mutagenicity experiments on rats, and safety evaluations on pig development. None of these experiments have found any toxic side effects. This indicates that Thraustochytrids can be safely used as feed additives for animals, and their safety has also been recognized by the FDA.
Promote animal growth and development
In aquaculture, DHA is the most effective essential fatty acid required by fish and crustaceans. However, fish and crustaceans cannot synthesize DHA themselves and must obtain it from their feed. The addition of DHA-rich microalgae in aquaculture is primarily to promote the healthy growth and development of animals. Numerous studies have shown that ensuring an adequate level of DHA in the feed can improve the tolerance and survival rate of aquatic animals and promote their growth and development. The effects of adding Thraustochytrids have been studied on several species of aquatic animals, including sea cucumber, shrimp, rosy seabass, spotted halibut, Atlantic salmon, and sea bass. Overall, Thraustochytrids have been found to significantly promote the growth of aquatic animals, improve feed conversion rate, and increase DHA content in the muscle of certain species, thereby enhancing the product quality of aquatic animals. These studies demonstrate the tremendous potential of Thraustochytrids in aquaculture. Additionally, Thraustochytrids can be used to enhance the nutritional value of animal-based aquafeed. Some animal-based feeds used for feeding fish and shrimp larvae, such as rotifers, brine shrimp, and copepods, lack DHA. However, their nutritional value can be enhanced by pre-enriching them with DHA-rich Thraustochytrids, thereby promoting the growth and survival rate of fish and shrimp.
Furthermore, adding Thraustochytrids to pig diets significantly reduces triglyceride levels in the blood. The DHA content in the subcutaneous fat accumulation of pigs fed with high levels of DHA is more than 13 times higher than that of the control group. Gene analysis has shown that the expression of biomarkers involved in fatty acid oxidation, such as acyl-CoA oxidase 1 (ACOX1), peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor alpha (PPAR-α), and gamma (PPAR-γ), is affected in the subcutaneous fat and liver of pigs. This indicates that feeding pigs with DHA-rich Thraustochytrids can exert their unique physiological functions in the animal's body, promote growth and development, and improve the quality of animal products.
To develop new functional products
There is increasing consumer demand for foods rich in DHA due to the growing awareness of health and improved living standards. Poultry products, such as eggs, contain essential amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients required by the human body, making them a staple in daily diet. Compared to expensive health medications, DHA-rich eggs are more preferred by consumers.
Adding Schizochytrium algae powder offers the following advantages: it directly increases the DHA content in eggs and has a fast deposition rate with a shorter enrichment time. The unsaturated fatty acids, including DHA, in Thraustochytrids algae powder are less prone to oxidation due to their encapsulation within cell walls.
Schizochytrium algae powder also contains several types of carotenoids, with β-carotene and lutein being the most abundant. These substances cannot be synthesized in poultry bodies and can only be obtained through feed. As the organism continuously ingests these substances, the carotenoids gradually accumulate in the egg yolk, resulting in a deepening of color from pale yellow to orange-red. This color transformation stabilizes within approximately one week, indicating the transfer of carotenoids to the egg yolk. This enhancement contributes to the quality of the eggs. Therefore, adding Schizochytrium to poultry feed for the production of DHA-enriched eggs has become a trend.
HSF Biotech Company produced Schizochytrium algal powder is widely used in animal husbandry. It is utilized in aquaculture to promote the growth and health of fish and crustaceans, improving survival rates and feed conversion efficiency. In poultry farming, it enhances the DHA content and yolk color of eggs. Furthermore, in swine diets, it reduces triglyceride levels and increases DHA in subcutaneous fat. Overall, HSF Biotech Company-produced Schizochytrium algal powder provides multiple benefits, such as improved growth, enhanced nutritional quality, and stress tolerance in animals.
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