Zooca® Calanus® Oil: Why Lipid Structure Matters

Interest in marine lipids has traditionally focused on omega-3 content, particularly EPA and DHA levels. However, fatty acid composition alone does not fully explain how marine oils are absorbed in the body. The lipid structure is increasingly recognised as an important factor of how dietary fats are digested, absorbed and metabolised.

Zooca® Calanus® Oil is naturally rich in fatty acids, marine policosanols and astaxanthin, all bound in wax esters which makes this ingredient unique. In Calanus finmarchicus, wax esters represent the dominant lipid class and function as an efficient long-term energy store adapted to seasonal variation in food availability.

The same structural features that are important in marine organisms also influence how wax esters behave in the human digestive system.

Because wax esters must be broken down into both fatty acids and fatty alcohols prior to absorption, they follow a different pattern of digestion and absorption over time.

This distinct lipid structure may influence lipid digestion and absorption, shaping how and when fatty acids become available to the body. Human data confirms that Zooca® Calanus® Oil is a bioavailable source of EPA and DHA: in a 12-week randomized study, omega-3 fatty acids from Zooca® Calanus® Oil showed bioavailability is comparable to that of fish oil and krill oil, despite differences in lipid structure¹. Detailed investigations of utilization, composition, and digestion further support that differences in absorption profiles reflecting digestion and absorption over time rather than reduced uptake^2-3.

Sustainably sourced from the Norwegian Sea, Calanus finmarchicus is a naturally renewable zooplankton species, with populations regenerating annually. While an estimated 290 million tonnes are produced each year, only 0.0005% is responsibly harvested for Zooca® Calanus® Oil. Zooca® employs a patented, environmentally responsible towing system designed to minimise by-catch and ecological impact. To preserve nutrient integrity and ensure optimal freshness, Calanus is immediately frozen on board following capture.

Zooca® Calanus® oil is available as a finished product in softgel capsules with minimum order quantities designed to facilitate product development and successful market introduction.

For more information, download the Zooca® Calanus® Oil Product Profile Sheet here or contact us.

_{References
(1) Vosskötter, F., et al (2023). Equal bioavailability of omega-3 PUFA from Calanus oil, fish oil and krill oil: A 12-week randomized parallel study. Lipids, 58, 231–243.
(2) Pedersen, A. M. (2016). Calanus® oil. Utilization, composition and digestion. PhD thesis, UiT – The Arctic University of Norway.
(3) Cook, C. M., et al (2016). Wax-ester rich oil from the marine crustacean Calanus finmarchicus is a bioavailable source of EPA and DHA for human consumption. Journal of the American Oil Chemists’ Society, 93, 1345–1354.}