Natural marine source phospholipids comprising polyunsaturated fatty acids and their applications

1. A composition comprising:

a phospholipid of the formula (I),

wherein R1 and R2, each together with the respective carboxyl groups to which each is attached, each independently represent a docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or an eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) residue, and X is —CH 2 CH 2 NH 3 , —CH 2 CH 2 N(CH 3 ) 3 , or

wherein the composition is suitable for human consumption.

2. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is derived from marine biomass or aquatic biomass.

3. The composition according to claim 1 or 2 , further comprising an additional lipid.

4. The composition according to claim 3 , wherein the additional lipid is selected from the group consisting of a monoglycerides, triglycerides, cholesterols and mixtures thereof.

5. The composition according to claim 1 or 2 , comprising about 5% w/w of free fatty acids.

6. The composition according to claim 3 , wherein polyunsaturated fatty acids comprise at least 15% w/w of the total lipids in the composition.

7. The composition according to claim 6 , wherein polyunsaturated fatty acids comprise at least 40% w/w of the total lipids in the composition.

8. The composition according to claim 7 , wherein polyunsaturated fatty acids comprise at least 45% w/w of the total lipids in the composition.

9. The composition according to claim 6 , wherein the polyunsaturated fatty acids are omega-3 fatty acids.

10. The composition according to claim 3 , wherein DHA and EPA comprise at least about 32% w/w of the total lipids in the composition.

11. The composition according to claim 10 , wherein DHA and EPA comprise at least 35% w/w of the total lipids in the composition.

12. The composition according claim 1 , further comprising a metal.

13. The composition according to claim 12 , wherein the metal is zinc, selenium or a mixture thereof.

14. The composition according to claim 13 , wherein the zinc comprises at least 0.005 mg/100 g of the composition and the selenium comprises less than 3 mg/100 g of the composition.

15. The composition according to claim 3 , wherein the fatty acid composition of the lipids in the composition is about:

Total

Phosphatidyl-

Phosphatidyl-

Phospholipid

choline

ethanolamine

Fatty Acids

Fatty Acid %

Fatty Acid %

Fatty Acid %

C14:0 MYRISTIC

2

2

0.7

C14:1 MYRISTOLEIC

1

C15:0

0.2

0.3

0.3

PENTADECANOIC

C16:0 PALMITIC

24

27

24

C16:1 PALMITOLEIC

2

2

0.7

C18:0 STEARIC

1

1

3

C18:1 OLEIC

9

12

24

C18:2n6 LINOLEIC

2

2

0.8

C18:3n6 GLA

1

0.3

C18:3n3 ALA

1

1

C18:4n3 OTA

2

2

0.3

C20:0 ARACHIDIC

C20:1 cis-11-

0.5

0.6

0.7

EICOSENOIC

C20:2n6

EICOSADIENOIC

C20:3n6 METHYL ETA

0.2

C20:4n6

0.6

0.7

0.6

ARACHIDONIC

C20:3n3 Homo-γ-

LINOLENIC

C20:4n3

C20:5n3 EPA

27

32

13

C22:0 BEHENIC

C22:1 ERUCIC

1

1.5

C22:2n6

C22:4n6

C22:5n6 METHYL DPA

C22:5n3 DPA

1.00

C22:6n3 DHA

25

14

32

C24:0 LIGNOCERIC

C24:1 NERVONIC

Total

100.0

100

100.

16. The composition according to claim 15 , wherein the total fatty acid composition of all the lipids in the composition is about:

Sample

Fatty Acid Composition

%

C14:0

≧3.00

C14:1

≧0.01

C15:0

≧0.3 

C16:0

≧20.00 

C16:1

≧3.25

C18:0

≧1.00

C18:1

≧10.00 

C18:2n6

≧2.00

C18:3n6 GLA

≧0.04

C18:3n3 ALA

≧0.01

C18:4n3

≧1.50

C20:0

≧0.05

C20:1

≧1.00

C20:2n6

≧0.05

C20:3n6

≧0.05

C20:4n6

≧0.50

C20:3n3

≧0.01

C20:4n3

≧0.20

C20:5n3 EPA

≧25.00 

C22:0

≧0.01

C22:1

≧1.50

C22:2n6

≧0.03

C22:4n6

≧0.01

C22:5n6

≧0.01

C22:5n3 DPA

≧0.50

C22:6n3 DHA

≧10.00 

C24:0

≧0.01

C24:1

  ≧0.05.

17. The composition according to claim 16 , wherein the total fatty acid composition of all the lipids is about:

Saturated (g/100 g lipid)

≧22.00

Monunsaturated (g/100 g lipid)

≧11.00

Polyunsaturated (g/100 g lipid)

≧35.00

Omega-3 (g/100 g lipid)

≧30.00

Omega-6 (g/100 g lipid)

    ≧1.00.

18. The composition according to claim 3 , comprising about:

Monoglycerides (MG) (g/100 g sample)

     ≧0.7

Triglycerides (TG) (g/100 g sample)

     ≧3.00

Free Fatty Acids (FFA) (g/100 g sample)

     ≧5.00

Cholesterol (g/100 g sample)

     ≦2.00

Total Phospholipids (PL) (g/100 g sample)

    ≧40.00

Phosphatidyl Ethanolamine (PE) (g/100 g sample)

     ≧2.50

Phosphatidyl Inositol (PI) (g/100 g sample)

     ≧0.20

Phosphatidyl Serine (PS) (g/100 g sample)

     ≧0.20

Phosphatidyl Choline (PC) (g/100 g sample)

    ≧35.00

Sphingomyelin (g/100 g sample)

     ≧0.50

Vitamin A (μg/100 ml)

≧1,400

Vitamin E (μg/100 ml)

    ≧15

Beta-Carotene (μg/100 ml)

≧1,600

Astaxanthin (mg/100 ml)

    ≧10

Canthaxanthin (mg/100 ml)

    ≧10

Flavonoid (mg/100 ml)

     ≧7.0.

19. The composition of claim 1 , wherein one of R1 and R2 is EPA and the other is DHA.

20. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising an antioxidant.

21. The composition of claim 20 , wherein the antioxidant is selected from the group consisting of vitamin A, vitamin E, beta-carotene, astaxanthin, canthaxanthin, flavonoids and mixtures thereof.