ENRICHMENT OF OMEGA-3 PUFAS FROM FUR-SEAL OIL

The solvent crystallization and the urea complexation of the Uruguayan fur seal oil (Arctocephalus australis Zim.), in order to obtain enriched omega-3 PUFAs concentrates were studied. The fractionation at -6-degrees-C of fur seal oil or its fatty acids dissolved in ethanol or acetone, is not suitable to obtain a PUFAs concentrate. Ethanol as a solvent and a two steps process (the second step consists of the addition of urea to the obtained NUCF) is the most useful procedure to obtain a concentrate of high PUFAs content using urea complexation of the free fatty acids from marine oils. When the concentrate is obtained from fur seal fatty acids, the total PUFAs content is of 90 % with an overall yield of 17 %. The recovery efficiency of total PUFAs is 78 %. This procedure is very simple and relatively cheap.