Unlocking the Power of Marine Policosanols with Zooca® Calanus® Oil

As bioactive compounds with potential health benefits, naturally occurring marine policosanols contribute significantly to the oil's composition. Join us on a journey to understand the science, origins, and potential effects of marine policosanols while unveiling a new dimension in nutritional well-being.

What are Policosanols?

Policosanols are bioactive molecules found as part of the wax esters of Zooca® Calanus® Oil. In Zooca® Calanus® Oil they resemble long-chain monounsaturated fatty acids, and vegetable equivalents are known for constituting part of the waxy layer on the outside of seeds and plants. Consequently, plant-based policosanols are often extracted from sources such as wheat germ, rice bran and sugar cane biomass.

Zooca® Calanus® Oil is a unique source of marine policosanols and their presence in Zooca® Calanus® Oil adds to its unique composition, contributing to the overall beneficial properties of the ingredient.

Are Policosanols naturally occurring substances?

Yes, policosanols are naturally found in various fruits, plants, and whole seeds. They are substances that humans have naturally consumed through the diet. However, most modern food processing methods remove the wax from the food, leading to a reduction in policosanol intake.

How much policosanols are present in Zooca® Calanus® Oil?

Zooca® Calanus® Oil contains 346 mg of marine policosanols per gram, which is typically ten times higher than what is usually found in pure policosanol supplements.

Is Zooca® Calanus® Oil the only marine lipid with policosanols?

Zooca® Calanus® Oil is the only marine lipid that contains significant amounts of marine policosanols, to the extent of our knowledge. Its unique composition sets it apart from other fatty acid products in the market. One significant difference is that Zooca® Calanus® Oil contains these marine policosanols, which are naturally bound to the fatty acids in the oil and form wax esters. In contrast, fish oil is typically in the form of triglycerides, and krill oil comes in the form of phospholipids.

What are the mechanisms and effects of policosanols?

Policosanols are a group of compounds present in Zooca® Calanus® Oil. They may be considered the "cousins" of fatty acids. When consumed, they can be converted into fatty acids by the body and utilized in a similar manner as other fatty acids. While the exact mechanisms of action of policosanols are still being studied, they are recognized for their potential role in supporting cellular and muscular function, energy expenditure and metabolic health.

Marine Policosanols and Science – What do we know?

The marine wax esters of Zooca® Calanus® Oil have not been extensively investigated as a dietary lipid but have a close chemical similarity to the well-known policosanols in the plant kingdom. As the trivial name implies, it’s a class of long-chain saturated fatty alcohols. These components originate from the natural wax from terrestrial sources such as wheat germ oil, rice bran oil, fruits, leaves, plant surfaces, and whole seeds. These plant-based policosanol extracts have been gaining attention as dietary supplements since they are considered to exhibit a range of beneficial physiological effects (1-2). Policosanols studies have demonstrated a potential in improving physical performance and exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties. It is theorized that these policosanols may boost physical performance by promoting lipid oxidation, which in turn spares muscle glycogen stores.

The policosanols in Zooca® Calanus® Oil are quantitatively important and may constitute nearly 40% by weight of the wax ester molecules. This fraction is comprised of a group of aliphatic alcohols, which notably differ from their terrestrial counterparts. These marine policosanols feature comparatively shorter carbon chain lengths, ranging between 14 and 22 carbons.

"The novel marine policosanols found in Zooca Calanus® Oil may offer ergogenic benefits by improving physical performance and exhibiting anti-inflammatory properties. These unique lipids are absorbed and utilized by the body, further supporting their potential role in promoting metabolic health."

Additionally, they exhibit double bonds akin to monounsaturated fatty acids. The most prominent constituents within this fraction are eicosenol (20:1n-9) and docosenol (22:1n-11), which together make up the majority of the policosanols in Zooca® Calanus® Oil. Classical research conducted on rodent models has demonstrated that policosanols can be oxidized into their corresponding fatty acids during hepatic metabolism in the endoplasmic reticulum and subsequent chain shortening within peroxisomes (3-5). A recent study proposed that the metabolic effects observed in response to policosanol supplementation may be attributed to the conversion of these fatty alcohols into their respective fatty acids.

Of note, Brezinova et al. reported in 2020 that serum from participants consuming Zooca® Calanus® Oil contained elevated levels of so-called unique lipids which were recognized as calanus-derived fatty alcohols incorporated into carrier lipids, especially TAGs, showing that the marine policosanols are absorbed and sent into circulation to be utilized by the body thereafter.

"Zooca® Calanus® Oil consist of nearly 40% marine policosanols."

References

1. Shen, J., Luo, F. & Lin, Q. (2019). Policosanol: Extraction and biological functions. Journal of Functional Foods, 57, 351-360.
2. Weerawatanakorn, M., Meerod, K., Wongwaiwech, D. & Ho, C.-T. (2019) Policosanols: Chemistry, Occurrence, and Health Effects. Current Pharmacology Reports, 5, 131-149.
3. Blomstrand, R., and Rumpf, J. A. (1954). The conversion of [1–14C] cetyl alcohol into palmitic acid in the intestinal mucosa of the rat. Acta Physiol. Scand. 32, 374–383
4. Hargrove, J. L., Greenspan, P., and Hartle, D. K. (2004). Nutritional significance and metabolism of very long chain fatty alcohols and acids from dietary waxes. Exp. Biol. Med. 229, 215–226.
5. Stetten, D., and Schoenheimer, R. (1940). The biological relations of the higher aliphatic alcohols to fatty acids. J. Biol. Chem. 133, 347–357.