Krill oil is an extract prepared from a species of Antarctic krill, ''

Euphausia superba Antarctic krill (''Euphausia superba'') is a species of krill found in the Antarctic waters of the Southern Ocean. It is a small, swimming crustacean that lives in large schools, called swarms, sometimes reaching densities of 10,000–30,000 ind ...

''. Processed krill oil is commonly sold as a dietary supplement. Two components of krill oil are

omega-3 fatty acid Omega−3 fatty acids, also called Omega-3 oils, ω−3 fatty acids or ''n''−3 fatty acids, are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) characterized by the presence of a double bond, three atoms away from the terminal methyl group in their chem ...

s similar to those in

fish oil Fish oil is oil derived from the tissues of oily fish. Fish oils contain the omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), precursors of certain eicosanoids that are known to reduce inflammation in the b ...

, and

phospholipid-derived fatty acids Phospholipid-derived fatty acids (PLFAs) are widely used in microbial ecology as Chemotaxonomy, chemotaxonomic markers of bacteria and other organisms. Phospholipids are the primary lipids composing cellular membranes. Phospholipids can be Saponifi ...

(PLFA), mainly

phosphatidylcholine Phosphatidylcholines (PC) are a class of phospholipids that incorporate choline as a headgroup. They are a major component of biological membranes and can be easily obtained from a variety of readily available sources, such as egg yolk or soybea ...

(alternatively referred to as marine lecithin).

Safety and regulation

Although there may be toxic residues present in Antarctic krill and fish, the United States

Food and Drug Administration The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA or US FDA) is a List of United States federal agencies, federal agency of the United States Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Health and Human Services. The FDA is respon ...

has accepted notices from krill oil manufacturers declaring that krill oil and supplement products derived from it meet the standards for Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status. Krill oil is listed among authorized European novel foods by meeting specification limits.

Difference between krill oil and fish oil

Krill oil and oceanic fish oil are rich in omega-3 fatty acids, mainly

eicosapentaenoic acid Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; also icosapentaenoic acid) is an omega-3 fatty acid. In physiological literature, it is given the name 20:5(n-3). It also has the trivial name timnodonic acid. In chemical structure, EPA is a carboxylic acid with a 20-c ...

(EPA) and

docosahexaenoic acid Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is an omega-3 fatty acid that is a primary structural component of the human brain, cerebral cortex, skin, and retina. In physiological literature, it is given the name 22:6(n-3). It can be synthesized from alpha-lin ...

(DHA). While both contain some EPA and DHA as free fatty acids, krill oil contains particularly rich amounts of

choline Choline is an essential nutrient for humans and many other animals. Choline occurs as a cation that forms various salts (X− in the depicted formula is an undefined counteranion). Humans are capable of some ''de novo synthesis'' of choline but r ...

-containing phospholipids and a

concentration of 34 grams per 100 grams of oil. It has been shown that choline from krill oil is highly bioavailable. One study demonstrates that krill oil omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA bound as phospholipids have a 121% higher uptake compared to fish oil triglycerides. Krill oil also contains appreciable content of

astaxanthin Astaxanthin is a keto- carotenoid within a group of chemical compounds known as terpenes. Astaxanthin is a metabolite of zeaxanthin and canthaxanthin, containing both hydroxyl and ketone functional groups. It is a lipid-soluble pigment with r ...

at 0.1 to 1.5 mg/ml, depending on processing methods, which is responsible for its red color.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Krill Oil Dietary supplements Krill