Zooca® Calanus® oil

Table of contents

What is Zooca® Calanus® oil?

(Source: Zooca® white paper, author: Alice Marie Pedersen, PhD)

In a world where there are countless nutritional supplements, it is a challenge to find natural and scientifically based solutions that meet our complex needs.

One such solution is Zooca® Calanus® Oil – a unique oil from the sea. This oil is extracted from the abundant Calanus finmarchicus and offers a combination of special benefits thanks to its special composition and gentle extraction.

The uniqueness of Zooca® Calanus® Oil lies in its chemical structure, which consists mainly of wax esters containing bioactive compounds (Fig. 1). Source: Zooca Whitepaper

This special composition distinguishes it from all other marine and vegetable oils.

The most important components include omega-3 fatty acids such as eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and stearidonic acid (SDA). It also contains monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) such as cetolic acid and gondoic acid.

Astaxanthin, a powerful antioxidant, and policosanols, a group of long-chain alcohols, further increase its value.

Fig. 2: Calanus finmarchicus – copepod Source: Zooca Whitepaper

Calanus finmarchicus originates from the waters of the Norwegian Sea, where it plays a very important role in the marine food chain for all levels higher up the food chain. The small copepod is one of the most abundant zooplankton species. Its main diet includes diatoms, dinoflagellates and other microplanktonic organisms.

The biomass of this resource in this region alone is estimated at up to an impressive 290 million tons per year.

The sustainable harvesting of Calanus finmarchicus not only provides a valuable source of food, but also supports the long-term conservation of the marine ecosystem and the fish populations that depend on it. This makes it a sensible alternative to traditional fishing.

Figure 3 – Graphical overview of the statistically significant results from clinical studies with Zooca Calanus® oil. Source: Zooca Whitepaper
Source: Zooca Whitepaper

Would you like to know more about Zooca Calanus oil and the studies conducted?Then read the white paper from Zooca or take a look at one of the publications from the publication list.


Publications on Zooca Calanus oil

Updated August 2025

Klinische Studien

  1. Aasum, E, Pedersen, A.M, Hahn, A, Larsen, T. (2025) A novel Marine Oil from the Copepod Calanus finmarchicus, Source, Harvesting, Chemistry and Potential Application in Human Health. Lipidology, 2(2),11
  2. Kerlikowsky F, Bartsch M, Wiebke J, Hahn A, Schuchardt JP. (2025) Calanus Oil and Lifestyle Interventions Improve Glucose Homeostasis in Obese Subjects with Insulin Resistance. Marine Drugs, 23,139.
  3. Vosskötter F, Burhop M, Hahn A, Schuchardt JP. (2023) Equal bioavailability of omega-3 PUFA from Calanus oil, fish oil and krill oil: A 12-week randomized parallel study. Lipids, 1-10 | https://aocs.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/
  4. Tauschek L, Røsbjørgen REN, Dalen H, Larsen T, Karlsen T. (2022) No Effect of Calanus Oil on Maximal Oxygen Uptake in Healthy Participants: A Randomized Controlled Study. International Journal of Sports Nutrition: 32:6, 468-478 |
  5. Burhop, M., Schuchardt, J. P., Nebl, J., Müller, M., Lichtinghagen, R. & Hahn, A. (2022). Marine Oil from C. finmarchicus Enhances Glucose Homeostasis and Liver Insulin Resistance in Obese Prediabetic Individuals. Nutrients, 14, 396 |
  6. Stepan, M., Dadova, K., Matous, M., Krauzova, E., Sontakova, L., Koc, M., Stich, V., Rossmeislova, L. and Siklova, M. (2022) ) Exercise Training Combined with Calanus Oil Supplementation Improves the Central Cardiodynamic Function in Older. Nutrients . Nutrients, 14, 149.
  7. Wasserfurth, P., Nebl, J., Rühling, M.R., Shammas, H., Bednarczyk, J., Koehler, K., Boßlau, T.K., Krüger, K., Hahn, A. and Das, A.M. (2021) Impact of Dietary modifications on Plasma Sirtuins 1, 3 and 5 in Older Overweight Individuals Undergoing 12-Weeks of Circuit Training. Nutrients 13, 3824 |
  8. Cizkova, T., Stepan, M., Dadova, K., Ondrujova, B., Sontakova, L., Krauzova, E., Matous, M., Koc, M., Gojda, J., Krackmerova, J., Stich, V., Rossmeislova, L. and Siklova, M. (2020) Exercise Training Reduces Inflammation of Adipose Tissue in the Elderly: Cross-Sectional and Randomized Interventional Trial. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, Volume 105, Issue 12,e4510-e4526.
  9. Dadova, K., Petr, M., Steffl, M., Sontakova, L., Chlumsky, M., Matous, M., Stich, V., Stepan, M. and Siklova, M. (2020) Effect of Calanus Oil Supplementation and 16-week exercise Program on Selected Fitness Parameters in Older Women. Nutrients 12, no. 2: 481.
  10. Brezinova, M., Cajka, T., Oseeva, M., Stepan, M., Dadova, K., Rossmeislova, L., Matous, M., Siklova, M., Rossmeisl, M. and Kuda, O. (2020) Exercise training induces insulin-sensitizing PAHSAs in adipose tissue of elderly women, Biochimica et Biophysica Acta (BBA) Molecular and Cell Biology of Lipids, 1865, 2nd ed.
  11. Wasserfurth, P., Nebl. J., Boßlau, T.K., Krüger, K., Hahn, A., and Schuchardt, J.P (2020) 12-weeks of Calanus finmarchicus oil intake improves omega-3-index in healthy older subjects engaging in an exercise program. British Journal of Nutrition 1-8.
  12. Wasserfurth, P., Nebl, J., Schichardt, J.P., Müller, M., Boßlau, T.K., Krüger, K., and Hahn, A. (2020) Effects of Exercise Combined with a Healthy Diet or Calanus finmarchicus Oil Supplementation on Body Composition and Metabolic Markers – A Pilot Study. Nutrients 12 (7), 2139 |
  13. Cook, C.M., Larsen, T., Derrig, L.D., Kelly, K.M. and Tande, K.S. (2016) Wax-ester rich oil from the marine crustacean Calanus finmarchicus is a bioavailable source of EPA and DHA for human consumption. Lipids, 51 (10): 1137-1144 |
  14. Tande, K.S., Trung, D.Vo. & Lynch, B.S. (2016) Clinical safety evaluation of marine oil derived from Calanus finmarchicus. Regulatory Toxicology and Pharmacology, 80: 25-31 |

Präklinische Studien

  1. Shrook Y. Abdellatif, Nagui H. Fares, Samar H. Elsharkawy & Yomna I. Mahmoud (2023) Calanus oil attenuates isoproterenol-induced cardiac hypertrophy by regulating myocardial remodeling and oxidative stress, Ultrastructural Pathology, 47:1, 12-21, DOI: 10.1080/01913123.2022.2163016
  2. Schots, P.C., Jansen, K.M., Mrazek, J., Pedersen, A.M., Olsen, R. L., and Larsen, T. (2020) Obesity-induced alterations in the gut microbiome in female mice fed a high-fat diet are antagonized by dietary supplementation with a novel, wax ester-rich, marine oil. Nutrition research
  3. Schots, P.C., Pedersen, A.M., Eilertsen; K.E., Olsen, R.L. and Larsen, T.S (2020) Possible Health Effects of a Wax Ester Rich Marine Oil. Front. Pharmacol. 11:961
  4. Jansen, K.M., Moreno, S., Garcia-Roves, P.M. & Larsen, T.S. (2019) Dietary Calanus oil recovers metabolic flexibility and rescues postischemic cardiac function in obese mice. American Journal of Physiology, 317:H290-H299
  5. Salma,W., Franekova, V., Lind, T., Höper, A.C., Ludvigsen, S., Lund, J., Aasum, E., Ytrehus, K., Belke, D.D. & Larsen, T.L. (2016) Dietary Calanus oil antagonizes angiotensin II-induced hypertension and tissue wasting in obese mice. Prostaglandins, Leukotrienes and Essential Fatty Acids, 108: 13-21
  6. Pedersen, A. M., Salma W., Höper A. C., Larsen T. S. & Olsen R. L. (2014) Lipid profile of mice fed a high-fat diet supplemented with a wax ester-rich marine oil. European Journal of Lipid Science and Technology, 116: 1718-1726
  7. Höper, A.C., Salma, W., Sollie, S.J., Hafstad, A.D., Lund, J., Khalid, J., Raa, J., Aasum, E. & Larsen, T.S. (2014) Wax Esters from the Marine Copepod Calanus finmarchicus Reduce Diet-Induced Obesity and Obesity-Related Metabolic Disorders in Mice. Journal of Nutrition, 144 (2): 164-169
  8. Pedersen, A.M., Vang, B. & Olsen, R.L. (2014) Oil from Calanus finmarchicus. Composition and Possible Use: A Review. Journal of Aquatic Food Product Technology, 23 (6): 633-644
  9. Höper, A.C. Salma, W., Khalid, A.M., Hafstad, A.D., Sollie, S., Raa, J., Larsen, T.S. & Aasum, E. (2013) Oil from the marine zooplankton Calanus finmarchicus improves the cardiometabolic phenotype of diet-induced obese mice. British Journal of Nutrition, 110 (12): 2186-2193
  10. Vang, B., Pedersen, A.M. & Olsen, R.L. (2013) Oil extracted from the copepod Calanus finmarchicus using proteolytic enzymes. Journal of Aquatic Food Product Technology, 22 (6): 619-628
  11. Vang, B., Mæhre, H.K., Jensen, I.J. & Olsen, R.L. (2013) Detection of tropomyosin and determination of proteins in crustacean oils. Food Chemistry 141: 72-76
  12. Eilertsen, K.-E., Maehre, H., Jensen, I.J., Devold, H. Olsen, J.O. Lie, R.K., Brox, J. Berg, V. Elvevoll, E.O. & Østerud, B. (2012) A Wax Ester and Astaxanthin-Rich Extract from the Marine Copepod Calanus finmarchicus Attenuates thermogenesis in Female Apolipoprotein E-Deficient Mice Journal of Nutrition 142: 508-512

Disclaimer

Disclaimer: This article is for information purposes only and in no way replaces the advice of a doctor or pharmacist. If you have any health complaints, please always consult a healthcare professional.