Production of PUFA Concentrates from Poultry and Fish Processing Waste

In fish and poultry processing, viscera are generally considered as a waste product and often discarded. Chicken and hilsa fish (Hilsa ilisa) viscera were used for the production of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) linoleic (18:2n-6), eicosapentaenoic (EPA; 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; 22:6n-3). Free fatty acids (FFA) were extracted by alkaline hydrolysis of chicken and fish viscera; yields were 5.2 and 5.9% (w/w) respectively. PUFA concentrates were obtained by a two step process—deduction of saturated fatty acids (FA) by low temperature crystallization in acetone followed by urea inclusion compound-based fractionation. Acetone treatment removed 90 and 96% of saturated FA in chicken and fish viscera respectively with FA to acetone ratio of 1:12 (w/v). Using an urea to FA ratio (w/w) of 4.0, chicken viscera produced a maximum of 84.1% of PUFA concentrates containing 82.1% of linoleic acid with a yield of 10% where as in the case of fish viscera the maximum PUFA concentrates were 91.3% containing 78.2% of EPA-DHA with the yield of 11%. Thus, the utilization of poultry and fish processing waste into the production of PUFA concentrates has been shown.