Assessment of Lipid Quality in Commercial Omega-3 Supplements Sold in the French Market

Biomolecules. 2022 Sep 23;12(10):1361. doi: 10.3390/biom12101361.

Abstract

Supplementation of omega-3 fatty acids is considered a valuable strategy to supply the low intake of these fatty acids. Thus, the safety of the supplements is an important milestone. Because of that, we analyzed 20 unflavored supplements sold in the French market for fatty acid and triglyceride composition, for EPA and DHA, and for tocol content, as well as for oxidative status. This study found that only 2.5% of the supplements did not meet their label claims for omega-3 content. TAG analysis showed high variability among the triglyceride distribution, and the same trend was also noticed for the tocol content; in fact, a high variability of the distribution of the six tocols (four tocopherols and two tocotrienols) was found among the samples. Of the tested products, all of them complied with peroxide value, p-anisidine value, and Totox values established by the Global Organization for EPA and DHA Omega-3s (GOED) and were not oxidized.

Keywords: Schizochytrium; Totox; fish oil; lipid oxidation; microalgae oil; p-anisidine value; peroxide value; polyunsaturated fatty acids.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Dietary Supplements / analysis
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids / analysis
  • Eicosapentaenoic Acid / analysis
  • Fatty Acids
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3* / analysis
  • Fish Oils
  • Peroxides
  • Tocopherols
  • Tocotrienols*
  • Triglycerides

Substances

  • Eicosapentaenoic Acid
  • Docosahexaenoic Acids
  • Tocotrienols
  • Fatty Acids, Omega-3
  • Fatty Acids
  • Triglycerides
  • Tocopherols
  • Peroxides
  • Fish Oils

Grants and funding

This study is part of ERA-Net SUSFOOD2 project SUSPUFA (ID 145) with funding provided by national and regional sources (Spanish Ministry of Science, Education and Universities/Spanish State Research Agency (PCI2018-093178)) and co-funding by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation program.