Potentials of Selected Microalgae Oil as a Possible Replacement for Fish Oils and Edible Oils

The need to reduce the use of fish-derived oil in aquaculture to enhance the production of low-cost feeds cannot be over emphasized considering the pressure these puts on fish species and numbers. This paper reports findings of an investigation into the nutritional significance of algae oils and their potential in substituting fish oils or edible oils. A kilogram of microalgae sample was harvested from fish concrete tanks, dried and their oils were extracted using the Soxhlet extraction method. The extracted oil was subjected to gas chromatography analysis for characterization purposes. The microalgae sample yielded 7.2ml of oil per 100g sample. The chromatographic analysis of the oil showed it was composed of the fatty acids: Palmitic acid (28.2%), α-Linolenic acid (23%), Linoleic acid (22.8%), γ-Linolenic acid (16.6%), Oleic acid (2.5%) and others. The oil however lacked Eicosapentaenoic (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic (DHA) acids, the two major polyunsaturated fatty acids in fish oils; hence this particular algae oil may not necessarily replace fish oils. The oil though exhibits promising characteristics to substitute edible oils (such as palm oil and peanut oil) for consumption and other oils for industrial uses.