This article has been reviewed according to Science X's editorial process and policies. Editors have highlighted the following attributes while ensuring the content's credibility: Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) are omega-3 fatty acids known to have beneficial effects and are popular as functional foods and dietary supplements. They are polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs); the primary source of these PUFAs for humans is fish oil.
A class of primarily marine microorganisms called thraustochytrids has recently been shown to possess high productivity of these PUFAs. In addition, some studies have shown that thraustochytrids can synthesize these PUFAs from food processing waste, a form of upcycling that reduces the environmental impact of this waste. Hiroshima University researchers have demonstrated that three types of liquid pickle seasoning waste (pickle waste) can be used by the thraustochytrid Aurantiochytrium sp. strain L3W to produce DHA and EPA.
They also showed that pickle waste can be reused and does not need to be sterilized for this purpose. Their findings were published in the journal LWT – Food Science and Technology on July 21, 2026. Aurantiochytrium sp. strain L3W (strain L3W) was isolated and characterized in 2021 by a research group led by Satoshi Nakai, professor at Hiroshima University's Graduate School of Advanced Science and Engineering and corresponding author of the current paper.
Further work by Nakai's group showed that sterile Hiroshimana pickle waste by itself was a suitable substrate for the culture of strain L3W and the biosynthesis of DHA. In this study, the researchers examined the suitability of Hiroshimana (HN), sakura radish (SR) and umeboshi (UB) pickle waste for culturing L3W and producing omega-3 fatty acids. All three pickles are examples of tsukemono, traditional Japanese pickles.
The pickle wastes are rich in dissolved organic carbon and dissolved nitrogen, which serve as nutrient sources for L3W, but also contain lactic acid, which suppresses both growth and PUFA production. ATCC 790 By+ culture medium was used as a control. "We demonstrated that Hiroshimana (HN) pickle seasoning liquid waste can be used without any additives for culturing the thraustochytrid Aurantiochytrium sp. strain L3W under nonsterile conditions to produce DHA and EPA," Nakai says.
Undiluted HN medium had the highest yields, at 60.6 mg/g DHA and 2.5 mg/g EPA, albeit lower than the control. "Furthermore, we confirmed that the spent HN waste medium was reused to culture strain L3W for DHA and production. Notably, strain L3W again grew in this medium, but the DHA and contents were lower.
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