Concentration of Omega‑3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids from Oil of Schizochytrium limacinum by Molecular Distillation: Optimization of Technological Conditions

Production of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids concentrates from oil of Schizochytrium limacinum was optimized to obtain the highest omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (ω-3PUFA) enrichment ratio. In this process, the content of docosapentenoic acid (DPA), the content of docosahexenoic acid (DHA) in the final product, the percentage recovery of the heavy phase, and the ω-3PUFA enrichment ratio were optimized. Single-factor experiments were carried out to study the effects of evaporator temperature, feeding rate, feeding temperature, and roller speed. A central composite design was used to optimize technological conditions. Under optimum conditions, the highest ω-3PUFA enrichment ratio (92.98%) was obtained at an evaporator temperature of 110.4 °C, a feeding rate of 78.7 mL/h, a roller speed of 350 rpm, a feeding temperature of 80 °C, and an operating pressure 10 Pa.