2026
Food Bioscience Volume 79, May 2026, 108574
Omega-3 PUFA Concentration and Emulsification Govern Lipid Digestion, Micellar Vesicle Formation, and Oral Bioavailability of Fish Oil Concentrates
Centre for Pharmaceutical Innovation (CPI), School of Pharmacy & Biomedical Sciences, College of Health, Adelaide University, Adelaide, 5000, South Australia, Australia ARC Industry Transformation Training Centre (ITTC) for Facilitated Advancement of Australia's Bioactives (FAAB), Australia School of Natural Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, 2109, Australia Soho Flordis International Switzerland SA, 6934, Bioggio, Switzerland
Service type: Stock strains
Abstract
Omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (n-3 PUFA) concentrates, enriched in eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), are widely consumed health supplements that are produced through the chemical processing of fish oil triglycerides. These concentrates contain very high n-3 PUFA levels, however, it remains unclear how increasing EPA/DHA concentration impacts their digestion and absorption. This study subsequently investigated how EPA/DHA concentration and emulsification affect lipase-mediated digestion, micellar formation, and oral bioavailability. In vitro lipolysis showed that higher EPA/DHA content reduced fatty acid release and decreased micellar vesicle formation 3.3-fold compared to lower-concentration oil. Conversely, emulsification of the concentrate doubled fatty acid release relative to the non-emulsified form. In vivo pharmacokinetics studies in rats demonstrated that higher EPA/DHA content reduced systemic DHA exposure (AUC0–24h) by 1.8-fold (p = 0.007), while emulsification had minimal effect. By contrast, emulsification significantly enhanced EPA absorption, increasing systemic exposure 2.3-fold (p = 0.027) and restoring levels comparable to low-concentration oil. Correlations between in vitro and in vivo data suggested distinct uptake pathways: EPA absorption aligned with lipolysis kinetics (R2 = 0.787 for AUC; R2 = 0.943 for Cmax), whereas DHA absorption correlated strongly with micelle formation efficiency (R2 = 0.807 for AUC; R2 = 0.999 for Cmax). These findings indicate that DHA bioavailability depends on efficient incorporation into micelles, while EPA uptake is governed more directly by lipolysis. Together, this work provides mechanistic insight into how composition and emulsification shape the digestive fate and bioavailability of omega-3 concentrates, informing the design of functional foods and nutraceuticals.
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