Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 2 September 2020 doi:10.20944/preprints202009.0020.v1 Article Sustainable synthesis of omega-3 fatty acid ethyl esters from monkfish liver oil Johanna Aguilera-Oviedo 1,2, Edinson Yara-Varón 1,2, Mercè Torres 2,3, Ramon Canela-Garayoa 1,2,*and Mercè Balcells 1,2 1 Department of Chemistry, University of Lleida, Avda. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain;
[email protected] (J.A.-O.);
[email protected] (E.Y.-V.);
[email protected] (M.B.) 2 Centre for Biotechnological and Agrofood Developments (Centre DBA), University of Lleida, Avda. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain;
[email protected] 3 Department of Food Technology, University of Lleida, Avda. Alcalde Rovira Roure 191, 25198 Lleida, Spain. * Correspondence:
[email protected];Tel.: (+34-973702841) Received: date; Accepted: date; Published: date Abstract: The search for economical and sustainable sources of PUFAs within the framework of the circular economy is encouraged by their proven beneficial effects on health. The extraction of monkfish liver oil (MLO) for the synthesis of omega-3 ethyl esters was performed evaluating two blending systems and four green solvents. Moreover, the potential solubility of the MLO in green solvents was studied using the predictive simulation software COSMO-RS. The production of the ethyl esters was performed by one or two step reactions. Novozym 435, two resting cells (Aspergillus flavus and Rhizopus oryzae) obtained in our laboratory and mix of them were used as biocatalysts in a solvent-free system. The yields for Novozym 435, R.