Nutritional and Medicinal Properties of Microbial Oil

Plant and animal oils and fats currently dominate the edible oil market, but a new sustainable alternative of lipids from single-celled organisms has become advantageous in human nutrition and pharmacy. Single-cell oils (SCOs) are lipids biosynthesized and accumulated in the lipid bodies of oleaginous species of bacteria, yeasts, molds, and algae. The review has investigated SCOs’ composition, with a detailed review of the described beneficial impact in medicine, cosmetics, pharmacy, and nutrition. Although microbial oil has been known for more than 100 years, it was not applied until the 21st century, when commercial SCO production for human use started and administrative regulations governing their use were completed. This article discusses the applications of SCOs, which can be easily found in microorganisms, in the pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and food industries. In addition, some aspects of 15- or 17-carbon-atom-long fatty acids were also pointed out. Furthermore, some challenges for heterotrophic single-cell oil synthesis and improvements in its extraction efficiency have also been concluded, which can further contribute to their broadened use in pharmacy, medicine, cosmetics, and food applications.