Highly Efficient and Enzyme-Recoverable Method for Enzymatic Concentrating Omega-3 Fatty Acids Generated by Hydrolysis of Fish Oil in a Substrate-Constituted Three-Liquid-Phase System.

A novel three-liquid-phase system which contained fish oil as the nonpolar phase was developed for the lipase-based hydrolysis of fish oil and subsequent enrichment of the omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (n-3 PUFA) in the glyceride fraction of the fish oil. In comparison with the traditional oil/water system, the enrichment factor of n-3 PUFA in this system was increased by 363.4% as a result of a higher dispersity, higher selectivity of the lipase for the other fatty acids except for n-3PUFA, and relief of product inhibition. The content of n-3 PUFA in the glyceride fraction could be concentrated to 67.97% by repeated hydrolysis after removing the free fatty acids. Furthermore, the lipase could be reused for at least eight rounds. This method would be an ideal approach for enriching n-3 PUFA because it is cost-effective, low in toxicity, and easily scaled up.