May
04 2010

New Microalgal Strain Found with High PUFA Levels

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev (BGU) researchers have isolated a microalgal strain which produces large amounts of a polyunsaturated fatty acid that could reduce blood pressure, chronic inflammation and blood cholesterol level, reducing the risk for heart attacks.

A research team at BGU’s Landau Family Microalgal Biotechnology Lab in the Jacob Blaustein Institutes for Desert Research (BIDR) headed by Prof. Zvi HaCohen, is studying an algal mutant that is capable of accumulating up to 15 percent (of dry weight) of a polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) called DGLA (Dihomo-γ-Linolenic Acid). The new strain, IKG-1, is a freshwater microalga that the researchers believe is the only known plant source capable of producing such significant amounts of DGLA.

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May
04 2010

Work on utilization of seafood byproducts continues in Alaska

Last November, Chilkoot Fish and Caviar Inc. of Haines was hit with a complaint by the EPA that could cost the company the maximum civil penalty of $177,500 for continuously violating its waste discharge permit under the Clean Water Act over a period of four years.

In January 2007, Deep Creek Custom Packaging Inc. of Ninilchik was fined $10,500 by the EPA, also for improperly disposing of fish waste.

Under Clean Water Act regulations, fish processors must grind their waste to a size of a half-inch or less before discharge. Even under proper disposal, however, fish waste can impact the environment by creating “dead zones,” essentially sucking out oxygen needed for live fish to thrive.

The crackdown on fish waste discharges is of special concern for small companies that process less than 25 tons per day that cannot afford the multi-million dollar price tags for equipment deployed at large-scale operations that separates, dries and grinds waste into fishmeal for sale as a byproduct to the agriculture and aquaculture industries.

This is where entrepreneurs like Sandro Lane and Leo Pedersen and scientists such as Scott Smiley and Peter Bechtel come in. Lane and Pedersen have found creative ways to simultaneously turn previously discarded fish waste into economically valuable products while aiding small processors.

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Mar
28 2010

Norwegian Aker agrees to expand loan to Aker BioMarine by NOK 20 million

Norwegian biotechnology company Aker BioMarine ASA (OSL: AKBM) said it agreed today with its main owner, industrial holding Aker ASA (OSL:AKER), to expand the short-term loan from it with NOK20m.

In September 2009, Aker BioMarine said it will borrow up to NOK90m from Aker. The company would initially get a loan of up to NOK50m and the remainder would be made available when it had presented a refinancing plan and got it approved by Aker.

Since then, Aker BioMarine has had a positive development with sales growth and a good start to the fishing season, which, however, has led to a need for an increased working capital.

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Mar
22 2010

BioMarine Fuels of Florida selected to present at CleanEquity Monaco 2010

BioMarine Fuels has been selected to present at CleanEquity Monaco 2010, the foremost event for next generation clean and green technology next month. The algal fuels pioneer is a development-stage company focused on the production of algal biomass in a patent-pending, closed photobioreactor system, or SolarMagnatron™.  Products include the creation of “green” biofuels for the electric power and transportation fuels industry, and valuable chemicals like Omega 3 oil used in the pharmaceutical, nutraceutical and food products.

They intend to combine with identified new technologies that will also enable our company to neutralize fossil fueled smokestack pollution while capturing the waste CO2 and converting the discharged pollutant chemicals into algae nutrients and feedstock for the production of energy-rich algal biomass within the SolarMagnatron ™ bioreactor system.

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Feb
24 2010

Norwegian Omega-3 oil from Calamari hits the market

Pharma Marine Group, founded by Omega-3 industry veteran Leif Gjendemsjø, has recently introduced Calamarine™ a line of eco-friendly high DHA Omega-3 ingredients for use in dietary supplements, pharmaceuticals and functional food items. Derived from the byproducts of food-grade calamari (Cephalopoda), Calamarine™ Omega-3 oils offer a highly sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative.

Calamari naturally contains high levels of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). An increasing body of research supports DHA as the more efficacious option for addressing most of the common health conditions supported by Omega-3 supplementation.

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Feb
12 2010

Marine Biotechnology Company is Fastest Growing Small Business in Nutraceutical Industry with Krill Oil

Krill oil manufacturer Azantis Inc. received the 2009 Growth Award from the industry leading Nutrition Business Journal and The NBJ Summit. Azantis grew its 2009 sales more than 300 percent in a highly competitive market.

Azantis received the 2009 Growth Award in the category Small Companies: Revenues Under $10 Million.

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Jan
07 2010

Omega-3 from squid byproducts emerging

The number of products bearing squid-sourced omega-3s are growing as more suppliers come onboard and its reputation grows as a green source of DHA-rich omega-3s, according to nutraingredients-usa.com

The latest comes from Missouri-based CardioTabs.

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Dec
15 2009

Roe of fish is best natural source of omega-3

The roe of hake, lumpsucker and salmon is the best dietary source of Omega 3, according to a study carried out by researchers at the University of Almería (UAL). The scientists analysed the eggs, or roe, of 15 marine animals, and found all of these contained high levels of these fatty acids, which are essential to the human body.

Until now there had been no precise understanding of the nutritional potential of the roe of marine animals, but a team of researchers from the UAL has now shown that this is one of the best natural sources of Omega 3 fatty acids, which are essential for ensuring the correct development of a wide variety of metabolic functions in the human body.

The results, published in the European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, show that Omega 3 fatty acids are present in all fish roe, but especially in the eggs of Atlantic bonito (Sarda sarda), mackerel (Scomber scombrus), squid (Loligo vulgaris), cuttlefish (Sepia sp.), lumpsucker (Cyclopterus lumpus), hake (Merluccius merluccius) and salmon (Salmo salar).

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Dec
15 2009

Omega-3 entered into Phase 3 clinical programs in Japan

Takeda Pharmaceutical Company Limited (Osaka, Japan, “Takeda”) and Pronova BioPharma ASA (OSE: PRON.OL) (Lysaker, Norway, “Pronova”) today announced that the advancement of TAK-085 (Compendial name: omega-3 acid ethyl esters 90 (Ph. Eur.)) for the treatment of hypertriglyceridemia into phase 3 clinical programs in Japan.

Takeda and Pronova entered into a license and supply agreement and Pronova granted Takeda an exclusive development, marketing and distribution right in Japan. TAK-085 is a highly concentrated preparation of the ethyl esters of omega-3 fatty acids which are predominantly a combination of ethyl esters of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA).

TAK-085 has already been approved and is commercially available in the U.S. (marketed as LovazaTM), for the treatment of the adult patients with high triglyceride levels -and major European countries including Italy, France, Germany, Spain and U.K., for the treatment of adjuvant treatment in secondary prevention after myocardial infarction, in addition to other standard therapy (e.g. statins, antiplatelet drugs, betablockers, ACE inhibitors) and adult patients with high triglyceride levels.

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Dec
15 2009

Aker BioMarine awarded public grant for research on krill oil

Aker BioMarine has been awarded a three-year NOK 8 million research grant from the Research Council of Norway’s Food Programme. The biotechnology company will use the funds to continue its ambitious documentation program on Superba™ Krill products. Aker BioMarine was one of five receivers out of an application pool of 37 companies.

The research grant allows us to further intensify our ambitious pre-clinical and clinical research on Superba™ Krill, says Dr. Hogne Vik, Aker BioMarine’s EVP of Documentation. We have been extremely pleased with the results we have seen in our research so far, and this grant contributes to even better documentation for Superba™ Krill – one of very few dietary supplements that is supported by product-specific scientific documentation.

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