Squalene is traditionally sourced from shark liver oil, but companies across several industries, including cosmeceuticals and pharmaceuticals, have already begun to seek out alternative sources for use in their products. As a background, squalene is a high-end, oil-free moisturizing ingredient used in a wide variety of cosmetics. The livers of an estimated 3,000 sharks are required to produce just 1 ton of squalene. Up to 6 million deep-sea sharks a year were thus killed to meet the global demand of between 1,000- 2,000 tons\/year. Squalene is also used in the manufacture of vaccines.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Advances in the purification of squalene have also allowed perennial botanical sources like olives to become a viable commercial alternative to sharks. Refined olive oil is now the primary botanical source of squalane. Olive oil, received from the first compression, holds about 400-450 mg per 100g of squalene, while refined oil contains about 25% less. In some cases, premium-quality olive oil contains concentrations of up to 700 mg per 100g.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Amyris produces farnesene and by-products, such as squalene, from engineered microbes. The company recently started<\/a> its new precision fermentation plant in Barra, Bonita, Brazil, which will produce, among others, natural vanillin, sugar-based Reb M, squalene, hemisqualene and patchouli. The site has five self-contained lines for diverse molecule production and can concurrently produce all 13 of its ingredients. The facility is located adjacent to the Raizen sugar mill. The company\u2019s Aprinnova joint venture with Nikkol Group, manufactures and markets the Neossance\u2122 Squalane and hemisqualane products derived from the hydrogenation of squalene oil in North Carolina.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
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