DHA
Compiled from published pharmacological and botanical literature. Not independently verified by Herbuno. Spotted an error or have a correction? Flag it below →
| Compound | Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n-3) |
|---|---|
| Chemical class | Long-chain polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acid — six double bonds |
| CAS | 6217-54-5 (DHA free acid) · 81926-94-5 (DHA ethyl ester) |
| Molecular weight | 328.49 g/mol (free acid) |
| Chemical forms | Triglyceride · re-esterified triglyceride · ethyl ester · free fatty acid · phospholipid |
| Critical specification | Oxidation markers — peroxide value, anisidine value, TOTOX |
| Claim strength | High for structural role in retina and brain; Moderate for TG over EE absorption |
| Buy from Herbuno | DHA 10% Powder · Omega 3 Fatty Acids Powder |
| Origin | Processed / Sourced from India |
| MOQ | R&D 100 g / 250 g (subject to stock) · Pilot batch 1–5 kg · Bulk 10 kg, 25 kg and above |
| Lead Time | Dispatch within 72 hrs from stock · fresh-batch production (typically 50 kg+): 10 working days |
| Documentation | CoA & MSDS standard with every lot |
Name origin: Systematically docosahexaenoic acid — twenty-two carbons, six double bonds, the first counted three carbons from the methyl end, hence omega-3. It is the longest and most unsaturated fatty acid found in significant quantity in human tissue, and that extreme unsaturation accounts for both its biological function and its commercial difficulty.
Structural position: DHA is not primarily a signalling precursor like EPA; it is a structural lipid. It constitutes a large proportion of the polyunsaturated fatty acids of brain grey matter phospholipid and is the dominant fatty acid of retinal photoreceptor membranes, where its flexibility supports the conformational changes of rhodopsin. Accumulation in the fetal and infant brain is rapid in the third trimester and first postnatal months, which is the basis of maternal and infant nutrition interest.
Why the chemical form matters: DHA is traded in several distinct molecular forms and they are not equivalent. Natural fish oil is triglyceride. Concentration by transesterification produces ethyl esters, which is how most high-potency concentrates are made; re-esterification converts those back to triglyceride at additional cost. Krill delivers phospholipid-bound DHA. Absorption differs between these, and so does oxidative stability.
Commercial source: Marine DHA comes from fish oil, principally from small pelagic species, and from tuna oil which is DHA-rich. Algal DHA, from Schizochytrium or Crypthecodinium cohnii fermentation, is the vegan article and is naturally high in DHA with little EPA. Powder forms such as the one we stock are microencapsulated oils, where the carrier and the encapsulation system are integral to the specification.
Evidence for DHA Applications
Six double bonds make DHA the most oxidation-prone fatty acid in common commerce, which makes oxidation specification mandatory rather than advisable. Each double bond is a site for peroxidation, and DHA oxidises faster than EPA, which in turn oxidises faster than the monounsaturates. Oxidised oil loses activity and gains aldehydes and other secondary products with their own toxicological questions and a characteristic rancid odour. Independent surveys of commercial omega-3 products have repeatedly found a proportion exceeding voluntary oxidation limits, so this is a real market problem rather than a theoretical one. Claim strength: High.
The specification parameters to require are peroxide value, anisidine value and TOTOX. Peroxide value measures primary oxidation products, anisidine value measures secondary aldehydes, and TOTOX combines them as twice the peroxide value plus the anisidine value. Industry voluntary monograph limits are commonly peroxide value not more than 5 milliequivalents per kilogram, anisidine value not more than 20, and TOTOX not more than 26. A certificate giving only fatty acid profile and no oxidation data is inadequate for a DHA material, and the values should be checked on receipt rather than taken from a certificate of indeterminate age. Claim strength: High.
Triglyceride DHA is better absorbed than ethyl ester, which is a real difference with practical consequences. Ethyl esters require pancreatic lipase hydrolysis before absorption and that step is slower and more dependent on co-ingested fat than triglyceride hydrolysis, so ethyl ester bioavailability is lower, particularly when taken without a fat-containing meal. Comparative studies have generally found triglyceride and re-esterified triglyceride forms superior. Ethyl esters are cheaper for high concentrations, so the choice is a genuine cost-performance trade-off rather than a question with one right answer. Claim strength: Moderate.
The retinal and neural structural role is settled biochemistry and is DHA's strongest mechanistic ground. DHA dominates the fatty acid composition of retinal photoreceptor outer segment membranes and is a major polyunsaturated constituent of brain grey matter phospholipid, where membrane fluidity supports rhodopsin conformational change and synaptic membrane function. Accretion into the fetal brain and retina accelerates in the third trimester. European Union authorised claims link DHA intake to maintenance of normal brain function and normal vision at 250 milligrams daily, and maternal intake to normal fetal and breastfed infant brain and eye development. Claim strength: High.
Preterm infant evidence is stronger than term infant evidence, and both are stronger than adult cognitive evidence. Trials in preterm infants have reported benefits on visual acuity development, consistent with the interrupted third-trimester accretion. Term infant formula trials are less consistent. In adults, DHA supplementation trials on cognitive endpoints in healthy populations have been largely unimpressive, and the large cardiovascular outcome trials used EPA-containing or mixed preparations rather than DHA alone. Positioning DHA for adult cognition goes beyond what the trials support. Claim strength: Moderate for preterm visual development; Emerging for adult cognition.
Algal DHA is a genuine equivalent for vegan positioning, which is unusual among marine nutrients. Schizochytrium and Crypthecodinium fermentation produce DHA-rich oil with little EPA, and the DHA molecule is identical to the marine one — marine DHA ultimately originates in algae in any case. Algal oil also avoids the marine contaminant questions and the fish odour, at higher cost. Where a formulation needs both EPA and DHA, algal oil generally needs pairing with an EPA source. Claim strength: High.
Sourcing DHA from Herbuno. We supply DHA as a 10% microencapsulated powder and an omega-3 powder.
Require oxidation data on every lot and check it on receipt, not from a certificate of indeterminate age: peroxide value, anisidine value and TOTOX, against limits of 5, 20 and 26 respectively. DHA has six double bonds and is the most oxidation-prone fatty acid in common commerce. Specify the chemical form — triglyceride, re-esterified triglyceride or ethyl ester — and the source, marine or algal, since both affect absorption and certification. All lots ship with CoA and MSDS; request a quotation for pilot or bulk volumes.
Dosage & Formulator Specification
Dose on DHA content, not on oil or powder weight, and state the basis. The European Union authorised claims for brain function and vision require 250 milligrams of DHA daily; the maternal development claim requires 200 milligrams of DHA in addition to the adult omega-3 recommendation. A 10% DHA powder therefore delivers 250 milligrams of DHA from 2.5 grams of powder, which is a sachet or food format rather than a capsule. Declaring "DHA powder 500 mg" without the DHA content overstates delivery by an order of magnitude.
Oxidation control is the dominant specification issue and should shape sourcing, packaging and shelf life together. Require peroxide value, anisidine value and TOTOX per lot. Specify the antioxidant system — mixed tocopherols are standard, sometimes with ascorbyl palmitate or rosemary extract — and require it declared, since it affects the finished label. Nitrogen flushing, opaque packaging and cool storage all matter. For a microencapsulated powder, the encapsulation itself is the primary oxygen barrier, so the integrity of that system and the residual free oil content are part of the specification.
Chemical form should be specified explicitly because it changes both absorption and cost. Triglyceride and re-esterified triglyceride are better absorbed, particularly without a fatty meal, and are more expensive. Ethyl esters are the economical route to high concentration and are acceptable where the product will be taken with food and the cost difference matters. Free fatty acid forms absorb well but are the least stable. Phospholipid forms from krill carry their own specification and allergen position. State the form and the CAS number.
Source selection carries the certification and contaminant questions. Marine DHA requires heavy metals, dioxins, dioxin-like PCBs and non-dioxin-like PCBs specified, and is a fish allergen. Algal DHA avoids both, is the vegan and generally the kosher and halal-simpler article, and is naturally DHA-dominant with minimal EPA — so a formulation needing both will usually pair algal DHA with a separate EPA source. Algal material requires the production organism and fermentation substrate named, and residual solvent limits where a solvent extraction is used.
For a microencapsulated powder, several parameters sit outside a normal oil specification and should be required. Total DHA content and the fatty acid profile; the carrier and wall material identity, which affects allergen and clean-label position; free or surface oil content, which is the fraction not protected by encapsulation and the first to oxidise; particle size and bulk density for blending behaviour; and oxidation markers on the powder rather than on the oil before encapsulation. Dispersion behaviour in the intended matrix should be tested rather than assumed.
Two positioning points worth documenting for customers. First, DHA and EPA are not interchangeable and their evidence does not pool: DHA is principally structural, concentrated in retinal and neural membranes, and carries the vision and brain-function claims; EPA is principally an eicosanoid precursor and carries most of the inflammation and mood literature. A product needing one should not be formulated with the other on availability grounds. Second, the adult cognitive evidence is weaker than the category implies — the strongest DHA outcome data concern preterm infant visual development, where third-trimester accretion is interrupted, and trials in healthy adults on cognitive endpoints have been largely unimpressive. The authorised claims are maintenance claims, which is a narrower statement than enhancement.
Frequently Asked Questions — DHA
What oxidation specification should I require?
Peroxide value, anisidine value and TOTOX — primary oxidation products, secondary aldehydes, and the combined index. Common voluntary limits are PV not more than 5 meq/kg, AV not more than 20, TOTOX not more than 26. DHA has six double bonds and is the most oxidation-prone fatty acid in commerce; check on receipt, not from an old certificate.
Is triglyceride really better than ethyl ester?
Yes, modestly but genuinely. Ethyl esters need pancreatic lipase hydrolysis before absorption, which is slower and more dependent on co-ingested fat, so bioavailability is lower — particularly without a fatty meal. Ethyl esters are cheaper at high concentration, so it is a real cost-performance trade-off rather than a question with one answer.
Is algal DHA equivalent to fish-derived?
Yes, the molecule is identical — marine DHA originates in algae in any case. Algal oil from Schizochytrium or Crypthecodinium is the vegan article, avoids the marine contaminant panel and the fish odour, and costs more. It is DHA-dominant with little EPA, so a formulation needing both will usually pair it with a separate EPA source.
Can I use DHA where a formula calls for EPA?
No. DHA is principally structural, concentrated in retinal photoreceptor and neural membranes, and carries the vision and brain-function claims. EPA is principally an eicosanoid precursor and carries most of the inflammation and mood literature. Their evidence does not pool, and substituting on availability grounds changes what the product does.
What does a 10% DHA powder actually deliver?
250 mg of DHA from 2.5 grams of powder — which is the EU authorised claim level for brain function and vision, and a sachet or food format rather than a capsule. Declaring "DHA powder 500 mg" without the DHA content overstates delivery by an order of magnitude. Dose on DHA content and state the basis.
What extra parameters does a powder need?
Beyond total DHA and fatty acid profile: carrier and wall material identity for allergen and clean-label position; free or surface oil content, which is the unprotected fraction and the first to oxidise; particle size and bulk density; and oxidation markers measured on the powder, not on the oil before encapsulation.