Abstract:

The refinement of fish oil from byproducts of fish meal processing was researched in this study. The optimal
processing parameters for fish oil refinement were determined as follows: after adding 1% of 60% phosphoric acid for
degumming, 3% of 12% NaOH for deacidification, and 15% of active carbon for decolorization, vacuum distillation 85 ℃
for 10 min for deodorization. After the refinement the amount of saturated fatty acids dropped, and other fatty acids were
little changed; the total amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) was 0.69 g/mL and the contents of docosahexenoic
acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) were 0.229 g/mL and 0.121 g/mL, respectively. Physicochemical indexes of
the refined oil accorded with quality requirements for first-grade refined fish oil.

Key words: fish oil from byproducts of fish meal processing, fatty acid composition, refinement, EPA, DHA