"Polyunsaturated Fatty Acid-Containing Oil Product and Uses and Production Thereof"

Abstract

The present invention includes a solid fat composition that includes an oil having saturated fat and a microbial oil having a long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid and an emulsifier. In particular, the solid fat composition can have high levels of long chain polyunsaturated fatty acid and low amounts of emulsifiers. In preferred embodiments, the polyunsaturated oil is an unwinterized microbial oil. The invention also relates to methods for making such compositions and food, nutritional, and pharmaceutical products comprising said compositions. The present invention also includes a microbial oil product prepared by extracting an oil-containing fraction comprising at least one LC-PUFA from a microbial biomass, and treating the fraction by a process of vacuum evaporation, wherein the oil product has not been subject to one or more of a solvent winterization step, a caustic refining process, a chill filtration process, or a bleaching process.

1 - 98 . (canceled) 
     
     
         99 . A method of preparing an oil product that is used for consumption, comprising:
 a) extracting an oil-containing fraction from a microbial biomass, wherein the oil-containing fraction comprises at least one LC-PUFA and saturated fatty acids at least sufficient to visually affect the oil-containing fraction; and   b) treating the oil-containing fraction by vacuum evaporation to produce an oil product comprising at least one LC-PUFA;   
       wherein the oil product has not been subject to a winterization step. 
     
     
         100 . (canceled) 
     
     
         101 . (canceled) 
     
     
         102 . (canceled) 
     
     
         103 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the oil product has not been subject to a caustic refining process, a chill filtration process, or a bleaching process. 
     
     
         104 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the microbial biomass is from a microorganism selected from the group consisting of microorganisms of the genus  Thraustochytrium , microorganisms of the genus  Schizochytrium , microorganisms of the genus  Althornia , microorganisms of the genus  Aplanochytrium , microorganisms of the genus  Japonochytrium , microorganisms of the genus  Elina , microorganisms of the genus  Crypthecodinium , and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         105 . The method of  claim 104 , wherein the microorganism is selected from the group consisting of microorganisms of the genus  Schizochytrium , microorganisms of the genus  Crypthecodinium , and mixtures thereof. 
     
     
         106 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the oil-containing fraction comprises an LC-PUFA having a carbon chain length of at least 20. 
     
     
         107 . (canceled) 
     
     
         108 . The method of  claim 106 , wherein the LC-PUFA has at least three double bonds. 
     
     
         109 . (canceled) 
     
     
         110 . The method of  claim 106 , wherein the LC-PUFA comprises an LC-PUFA selected from the group consisting of docosahexaenoic acid, docosapentaenoic acid, arachidonic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid. 
     
     
         111 . (canceled) 
     
     
         112 . (canceled) 
     
     
         113 . (canceled) 
     
     
         114 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the step of treating the oil-containing fraction comprises desolventization. 
     
     
         115 . The method of  claim 114 , wherein the desolventization comprises subjecting the extracted oil-containing fraction to vacuum conditions at high temperature. 
     
     
         116 . (canceled) 
     
     
         117 . The method of  claim 115 , wherein the desolventization comprises subjecting the extracted oil-containing fraction to a vacuum of greater than a vacuum of about 100 mm Hg. 
     
     
         118 . (canceled) 
     
     
         119 . (canceled) 
     
     
         120 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the step of treating the oil-containing fraction comprises deodorization. 
     
     
         121 . The method of  claim 120 , wherein the deodorization comprises subjecting the extracted oil-containing fraction to vacuum conditions at high temperature while sparging the extracted oil-containing fraction with steam. 
     
     
         122 . (canceled) 
     
     
         123 . (canceled) 
     
     
         124 . (canceled) 
     
     
         125 . (canceled) 
     
     
         126 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the oil product has a free fatty acid content of less than about 0.5 wt. %. 
     
     
         127 . (canceled) 
     
     
         128 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the oil product has a phosphorous value of less than about 10 ppm. 
     
     
         129 . (canceled) 
     
     
         130 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the oil product has a peroxide value of less than about 2 meq/kg. 
     
     
         131 . (canceled) 
     
     
         132 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the oil product has an anisidine value of less than about 5. 
     
     
         133 . (canceled) 
     
     
         134 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the oil product has a soap content of less than about 5 wt. %. 
     
     
         135 . (canceled) 
     
     
         136 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the oil product has an Fe concentration of less than about 1 ppm. 
     
     
         137 . (canceled) 
     
     
         138 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the oil product has a Pb concentration of less than about 1 ppm. 
     
     
         139 . (canceled) 
     
     
         140 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the oil product has an Hg concentration of less than about 0.1 ppm. 
     
     
         141 . (canceled) 
     
     
         142 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the oil product has an Ni concentration of less than about 0.1 ppm. 
     
     
         143 . (canceled) 
     
     
         144 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the oil product has a Cu concentration of less than about 1 ppm. 
     
     
         145 . (canceled) 
     
     
         146 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the oil product has been subjected to the step of bleaching either before or after the step of treating. 
     
     
         147 . The method of  claim 99 , further comprising fractionating the oil into an olein fraction and a stearin fraction. 
     
     
         148 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the oil product is used for human consumption. 
     
     
         149 . The method of  claim 99 , wherein the oil product is a solid at 20° C. 
     
     
         150 . An oil product produced by the process of  claim 99 . 
     
     
         151 . A microbial oil product that is used for consumption prepared by extracting an oil-containing fraction from a microbial biomass, wherein the oil-containing fraction comprises at least one LC-PUFA and saturated fatty acids at least sufficient to visually affect the oil-containing fraction, and treating the fraction by a process of vacuum evaporation, wherein the oil product is not subjected to a winterization step. 
     
     
         152 . (canceled) 
     
     
         153 . (canceled) 
     
     
         154 . (canceled) 
     
     
         155 . (canceled) 
     
     
         156 . (canceled) 
     
     
         157 . (canceled) 
     
     
         158 . (canceled) 
     
     
         159 . (canceled) 
     
     
         160 . (canceled) 
     
     
         161 . (canceled) 
     
     
         162 . (canceled) 
     
     
         163 . (canceled) 
     
     
         164 . (canceled) 
     
     
         165 . (canceled) 
     
     
         166 . (canceled) 
     
     
         167 . (canceled) 
     
     
         168 . (canceled) 
     
     
         169 . (canceled) 
     
     
         170 . (canceled) 
     
     
         171 . (canceled) 
     
     
         172 . (canceled) 
     
     
         173 . (canceled) 
     
     
         174 . (canceled) 
     
     
         175 . (canceled) 
     
     
         176 . (canceled) 
     
     
         177 . (canceled) 
     
     
         178 . (canceled) 
     
     
         179 . (canceled) 
     
     
         180 . (canceled) 
     
     
         181 . (canceled) 
     
     
         182 . (canceled) 
     
     
         183 . A microbial oil product that is used for consumption prepared by a process, comprising:
 a) extracting an oil-containing fraction comprising at least one LC-PUFA from a microbial biomass; and   b) treating the fraction by a process of vacuum evaporation;   wherein the oil product is not subjected to a winterization step, a caustic refining process, a chill filtration process, or a bleaching process; and   wherein the oil product has a characteristic selected from the group consisting of a free fatty acid content of less than about 0.5 wt. %, a phosphorous value of less than about 10 ppm, a peroxide value of less than about 2 meq/kg, an anisidine value of less than about 5, a soap content of less than about 5 wt. %, an Fe concentration of less than about 1 ppm, a Pb concentration of less than about 1 ppm, an Hg concentration of less than about 0.1 ppm, an Ni concentration of less than about 0.1 ppm, and a Cu concentration of less than about 1 ppm.   
     
     
         184 . (canceled) 
     
     
         185 . (canceled) 
     
     
         186 . (canceled) 
     
     
         187 . (canceled) 
     
     
         188 . (canceled) 
     
     
         189 . A method of preparing an oil product that is used for consumption, comprising:
 a) extracting an oil-containing fraction from a microbial biomass, wherein the oil-containing fraction comprises at least one LC-PUFA; and   b) treating the oil-containing fraction by vacuum evaporation to produce an oil product comprising at least one LC-PUFA;   wherein the oil product has not been subject to a caustic refining process.   
     
     
         190 . (canceled) 
     
     
         191 . (canceled) 
     
     
         192 . (canceled) 
     
     
         193 . (canceled) 
     
     
         194 . A blended oil product, comprising the oil product of  claim 151  and the oil product of  claim 193 . 
     
     
         195 . (canceled) 
     
     
         196 . (canceled) 
     
     
         197 . (canceled) 
     
     
         198 . (canceled) 
     
     
         199 . A process to produce a liquid LC PUFA-containing oil fraction and an LC PUFA-containing solid fat product, comprising: fractionating a microbial crude oil into an oil product and a solid fat product, wherein the solid fat product has an LC PUFA content of at least about 20% by weight. 
     
     
         200 . (canceled) 
     
     
         201 . (canceled)