Transgenic plants as a sustainable, terrestrial source of fish oils.

ABSTRACT

1An alternative, sustainable source of omega-3 long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids is widely recognized as desirable, helping to reduce pressure on current sources (wild capture fisheries) and providing a de novo source of these health beneficial fatty acids. This review will consider the efforts and progress to develop transgenic plants as terrestrial sources of omega-3 fish oils, focusing on recent developments and the possible explanations for advances in the field. We also consider the utility of such a source for use in aquaculture, since this industry is the major consumer of oceanic supplies of omega-3 fish oils. Given the importance of the aquaculture industry in meeting global requirements for healthy foodstuffs, an alternative source of omega-3 fish oils represents a potentially significant breakthrough for this production system. Transgenic Camelina seeds engineered to accumulate the omega-3 fatty acids EPA and DHA, represent a sustainable alternative to fish oils.