Supercritical CO₂ Extraction of Fish Roe

Seafood is rich in omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, and the good emulsifying properties of phospholipids make them suitable for use in the food, pharmaceutical and cosmetic industries. This study attempted to evaluate different fish species obtained using supercritical carbon dioxide without and with and ethanol as co-solvent extraction and organic solvent (ethanol) extraction. Supercritical CO₂ extraction was performed at 30–50 °C and at different pressures (17.7–33.0 MPa), maintaining a CO₂ flow rate of 0.6 mL/min for 3 hours. Gas chromatography and Bligh & Dyer methods were used to analyze the extracts. The results showed that only one species of fish roe (rainbow trout) produced oil, but it was concluded that improvements were needed to be able to extract oil from African catfish roe using supercritical CO₂ extraction. Rainbow trout roe contains the most monounsaturated fatty acids (44 %).