DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID FROM MICROALGAE

DOCOSAHEXAENOIC ACID (DHA) IS THE MOST ABUNDANT LONG-CHAIN POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACID IN THE GREY MATTER OF THE BRAIN. HUMANS CAN CONVERT DIETARY LINOLENIC ACID INTO DHA, BUT THIS PROCESS IS SLOW. CONSEQUENTLY, AT THE TIME OF THE MOSTRAPID BRAIN DEVELOPMENT IN THE FIRST FEW MONTHS OF LIFE, THERE IS A CRITICAL DEMAND FOR DIETARY DHA. ALTHOUGH DHA IS PROVIDED TO A NURSING INFANT FROM MOTHER'S MILK, MOST INFANT FORMULAS ARE SEVERELY DEFICIENT IN DHA. ATTEMPTS AT SUPPLEMENTING INFANT FORMULAS WITH FISH OILS HAVE LED TO REJECTION DUE TO THE STRONG FISHY ODOR AND TASTE. CONSEQUENTLY, THERE IS A NEED FOR AN ALTERNATIVE DHA-CONTAINING OIL AS A NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT FOR INFANT FORMULATIONS AND FOR FURTHER RESEARCH ON THE UPTAKE AND METABOLISM OF DIETARY DHA BY BOTH NURSING MOTHER AND INFANT. PHYTOPLANKTON REPRESENT THE LARGEST NATURAL DEPOT OF DHA. THE MAIN GOAL OF THIS RESEARCH IS TO TEST THE FEASIBILITY OFUSING SELECTED STRAINS OF DHA-PRODUCING MICROALGAE FOR THE PRODUCTION OF AN OIL THAT CAN BE USED AS A NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENT FOR INFANT FORMULAS AND BABY FOOD. MARTEK CORPORATION WILL ALSO DEVELOP THE CAPABILITY OF PRODUCING (13)C-LABELED DHA, A NONRADIOACTIVE RESEARCH TOOL FOR THE STUDY OF DHA UPTAKE AND METABOLISM.