Marine mammal oils processing

Dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), especially the n-3 series that are found in marine fish oils, modulate a variety of normal and disease processes, and consequently affect human health. PUFAs are classified based on the position of double bonds in their lipid structure and include the n-3 and n-6 series. Dietary n-3 PUFAs include a-linolenic acid, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) whereas the most common n-6 PUFAs are linoleic acid, y-linolenic acid, and arachidonic acid (AA). AA is the primary precursor of eicosanoids, which includes the prostaglandins, leukotrienes, and thromboxanes. Collectively, these AA-derived mediators can exert profound effects on immune and inflammatory processes. Mammals can neither synthesize n-3 and n-6 PUFAs nor convert one variety to the other as they do not possess the appropriate enzymes. PUFAs are required for membrane formation and function... 

Silica is by far the major component of the earth s crust, yet much remains to be learned of its chemistry and, in particular, its solubility behavior in water. The manner of its deposition to form such curiosities as quartz crystals containing inclusions of mineral oil, mercury, or liquid carbon dioxide remains a mystery (1). Flint, which our remote ancestors recognized as the strongest and toughest stone available, was apparently formed in some instances from the siliceous skeletons of ancient sponges by a mysterious process of solution transport. Within some plants and marine organisms, soluble silica is transported and deposited in characteristic intricate patterns. Only recently has it been recognized that soluble silica, even in trace amounts, plays a role in the development of mammals. 

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