PURIFICATION OF MARINE OIL-DERIVED POLYUNSATURATES

THE SPECIFIC AIM OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DEVELOP TECHNOLOGIC- ALLY EFFICIENT AND COST-EFFECTIVE METHODS FOR THE SEPARATIONAND PURIFICATION OF MULTIGRAM QUANTITIES OF HIGH POLYUN- SATURATES (E.G., EICOSAPNOIC ACID, EPA, C20:5W3; DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID, DHA, C22:6W3; AND ESTERS) FROM MARINE/FISH OILS, WITH THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVE OF MAKING THESE AND POSSIBLY OTHER HIGH POLYUNSATURATES AVAILABLE FOR A WAITING MARKET. THE HEALTH-RELATEDNESS OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT IS DUE TO THE FACT THAT EPA AND DHA ARE MODULATORS OF THE BIOSYNTHESIS OF PROSTAGLANDINS AND OTHER EICOSANOIDS OF EXPANDING PHYSIOLOGIC AND PATHOPHYSIOLOGIC INTEREST IN BIOLOGY AND MEDICINE; AFFECT PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF MEMBRANEGLYCEROPHOSPHOLIPIDS; AND, IN NATIVE (ESKIMOS, CERTAIN COASTAL DWELLERS) AND EXPERIMENTAL DIETS RICH IN EPA AND DHA, HAVE ANTITHROMBOTIC AND CARDIO-PROTECTIVE EFFECTS. THEMETHODOLOGY FOR THE SEPARATION AND PURIFICATION OF EPA, DHA,AND OTHER MARINE OIL-DERIVED POLYUNSATURATES WOULD FOCUS ON STATE-OF-THE-ART INNOVATIONS (SYSTEMS AND SEPARATION SCIENCE) IN PREPARATIVE HIGH-PERFORMANCE LIQUID CHROMATOGRAPHY.