Croda takes 'underrated' DPA into omega-3 market
concentrate containing the well-known EPA and DHA, in combination
with the 'underrated' DPA, with the company predicting the
ingredient to take the omega-3 market to the 'next level'.
While the benefits of omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) have been extensively studied, docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) has been "wholly underrated," said Dr. Miquel Mir, product applications manager for Croda Health Care. Omega-3 fatty acids have been linked to a wide-range of health benefits, including reduced risk of cardiovascular disease and certain cancers (CVD), good development of a baby during pregnancy, joint health, and improved behaviour and mood. Paul Kollesoff, marketing manager of Croda Health Care told NutraIngredients.com: "These are just a few of the findings surrounding DPA… Not many studies have been associated with DPA. This is why it is exciting for us, and the industry as a whole." The company used this week's Vitafoods in Geneva as the launch pad for the new concentrate, said to be a colourless oil with excellent organoleptics. It is derived from food grade salmon oil. Kollesoff said the ingredient, Incromega Trio, will be available in triglyceride or ethyl ester form in Europe and the US, and soon Australasia. The company is confident of the potential for this ingredient, with Kollesoff predicting: "We are now taking the omega 3 market to a new level," Croda's interest in DPA, a 22-chain omega-3 like DHA, started from studying epidemiological work that showed the Eskimo diet was a contributory factor to the reduced risk of cardiovascular problems. The Eskimo diet was rich in seal blubber, said Kollesoff, which contains high levels of the fatty acids EPA, DHA and DPA, but is significantly higher in DPA than fish oils. "This was the first piece of information getting Croda interested in DPA and its associated benefits," he said. "DPA itself has a number of cardiovascular benefits, which are different (or better than) EPA and DHA in their mechanism of action," said Kollesoff. "DPA has been shown to enhance endothelial cell migration, reducing the risk of atherosclerosis. [It] has also been correlated epidemiologically to be linked to the prevention of coronary heart disease." "Incromega Trio will open up a whole new market. The DPA market. The industry recognizes the benefits of omega 3 composition; EPA and DHA are very well known. DPA is the final piece of the jigsaw," he said.
