Thraustochytrids, fatty acid compositions, and methods of making and uses thereof

• US 8,207,363 B2
• Filed: 03/19/2009
• Issued: 06/26/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 03/19/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: DSM IP Assets BV (DSM-Firmenich AG)
• Original Assignee: Martek Biosciences Corporation (DSM-Firmenich AG)
• Inventors: Apt, Kirk E., Pfeifer, Joseph W. III, Hansen, Jon Milton, Behrens, Paul Warren, Zirkle, Ross, Stahl, Tracey Lynn
• Primary Examiner(s): Kosson, Rosanne
• Application Number:
  US12/407,687
• Publication Number:
  US 20100239533A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,195 Days
• Field of Search: 554/224, 554/8, 426/601, 435/134, 514/560
• US Class Current: 554/224
• CPC Class Codes: A23D 9/00 Other edible oils or fats, e.g. shortenings, cooking oils
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 20/158 Fatty acids; Fats; Products containing oils or fats
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 50/00 Feeding-stuffs specially adapted for particular animals
• CPC Class Codes: A23K 50/80 for aquatic animals, e.g. fish, crustaceans or molluscs
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/115 Fatty acids or derivatives thereof; Fats or oils
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/12 Fatty acids or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: A23L 33/135 Bacteria or derivatives thereof, e.g. probiotics
• CPC Class Codes: A23V 2002/00 Food compositions, function of food ingredients or processes for food or foodstuffs
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2035/11 Medicinal preparations comprising living procariotic cells
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 2800/74 Biological properties of particular ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/20 having a carboxyl group bound to a chain of seven or more carbon atoms, e.g. stearic, palmitic, arachidic acids
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 31/202 having three or more double bonds, e.g. linolenic eicosanoids, e.g. leukotrienes A61K31/557
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 36/02 Algae
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/9728 Fungi, e.g. yeasts
• CPC Class Codes: A61K 8/99 from microorganisms other than algae or fungi, e.g. protozoa or bacteria
• CPC Class Codes: A61P 29/00 Non-central analgesic, antipyretic or antiinflammatory agents, e.g. antirheumatic agents; Non-steroidal antiinflammatory drugs [NSAID]
• CPC Class Codes: A61Q 19/00 Preparations for care of the skin
• CPC Class Codes: C12N 1/125 Unicellular algae isolates
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6427 Polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFA], i.e. having two or more double bonds in their backbone
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6432 Eicosapentaenoic acids [EPA]
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6434 : Docosahexenoic acids [DHA]
• CPC Class Codes: C12P 7/6472 : containing polyunsaturated fatty acid [PUFA] residues, i.e. having two or more double bonds in their backbone
• CPC Class Codes: C12R 2001/89 : Algae ; Processes using algae

Abstract

The present invention is directed to isolated thraustochytrid microorganisms as well as strains and mutants thereof. The invention is further directed to biomasses, microbial oils, compositions, cultures, methods of producing microbial oils, and methods of using the isolated thraustochytrids, biomasses, and microbial oils.

Claims

1. A microbial oil comprising a triglyceride fraction of at least 70% by weight, wherein the docosahexaenoic acid content of the triglyceride fraction is at least 50% by weight, wherein the docosapentaenoic acid n-6 content of the triglyceride fraction is from 0.5% by weight to 6% by weight, and wherein the oil comprises 5% by weight or less of heptadecanoic acid.

2. The microbial oil of claim 1, further comprising an arachidonic acid content of the triglyceride fraction of 1.5% or less by weight.

5. The microbial oil of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least 20% of the triglycerides in the triglyceride fraction contain docosahexaenoic acid at two positions in the triglyceride selected from any two of the sn-1, sn-2, and sn-3 positions.

6. The microbial oil of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein at least 5% of the triglycerides in the triglyceride fraction contain docosahexaenoic acid at all three of the sn-1, sn-2, and sn-3 positions in the triglyceride.

7. A food product, cosmetic, or pharmaceutical composition for animals or humans, comprising the microbial oil of any one of claims 1 to 4.

8. The food product of claim 7, wherein the food product is an infant formula.

9. The food product of claim 8, wherein the infant formula can be consumed by premature infants.

10. The food product of claim 7, wherein the food product is milk, a beverage, a therapeutic drink, a nutritional drink, or a combination thereof.

11. The food product of claim 7, wherein the food product is an additive for animal or human food.

12. The food product of claim 7, wherein the food product is a nutritional supplement.

13. The food product of claim 7, wherein the food product is an animal feed.

14. The animal feed of claim 13, wherein the animal feed is an aquaculture feed.

15. The animal feed of claim 13, wherein the animal feed is a domestic animal feed, a zoological animal feed, a work animal feed, a livestock feed, or a combination thereof.

3. A microbial oil comprising a triglyceride fraction of at least 70% by weight, wherein the docosahexaenoic acid content of the triglyceride fraction is at least 40% by weight, wherein the docosapentaenoic acid n-6 content of the triglyceride fraction is from at least 0.5% by weight to 6% by weight, wherein the ratio of docosahexaenoic acid to docosapentaenoic acid n-6 is greater than 6:

1, and wherein the oil comprises 5% by weight or less of heptadecanoic acid.

4. A microbial oil comprising a triglyceride fraction of at least 70% by weight, wherein the docosahexaenoic acid content of the triglyceride fraction is at least 60% by weight, and wherein the oil comprises 5% by weight or less of heptadecanoic acid.