Extraction of Omega-3 Fatty Acids from Atlantic Sea Cucumber (Cucumaria frondosa) Viscera Using Supercritical Carbon Dioxide

This study explores the potential of <i>Cucumaria frondosa</i> (<i>C. frondosa</i>) viscera as a natural source of omega-3 FAs using supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO₂) extraction. The extraction conditions were optimized using a response surface design, and the optimal parameters were identified as 75 °C and 45 MPa, with a 20 min static and a 30 min dynamic extraction, and a 2:1 ethanol to feedstock mass ratio. Under these conditions, the scCO₂ extraction yielded higher FAs than the solvent-based Bligh and Dyer method. The comparative analysis demonstrated that scCO₂ extraction (16.30 g of FAs/100 g of dried samples) yielded more fatty acids than the conventional Bligh and Dyer method (9.02 g, or 13.59 g of FAs/100 g of dried samples with ultrasonic assistance), indicating that scCO₂ extraction is a viable, green alternative to traditional solvent-based techniques for recovering fatty acids. The pre-treatment effects, including drying methods and ethanol-soaking, were investigated. Freeze-drying significantly enhanced FA yields to almost 100% recovery, while ethanol-soaked viscera tripled the FA yields compared to fresh samples, achieving similar EPA and DHA levels to hot-air-dried samples. These findings highlight the potential of sea cucumber viscera as an efficient source of omega-3 FA extraction and offer an alternative to traditional extraction procedures.