Assessment of the Therapeutic Use of n-3 Fatty Acids in Vascular Disease and Thrombosis

Abstract

The n-3 fatty acids (also termed omega-3 fatty acids) are highly unsaturated fatty acids that are prominent constituents of marine oils. These fatty acids originate in plankton and extend up the food chain from krill to fish, and then may be ingested by man. Biologically active n-3 fatty acids include eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) (C20:5 n-3) and decosahexaenoic acid (DHA) (C22:6 n-3). These two fatty acids are present in relatively low amounts in the flesh of fatty fish but are concentrated in the various commercially available forms of fish oil (ie, 20 to 60 percent) and may also be highly purified (eg, up to 95 percent) as individual ethyl esters for research or therapeutic use. A somewhat shorter chain n-3 fatty acid (C18:3 n-3), α-linolenic acid, is found in several terrestrial plants which may be processed into vegetable oils. 1 Meydani SN Lichtenstein AH White PJ et al. Food use and health effects of soybean and sunflower oils. J Am Coll Nutr. 1991; 10: 406-428 Crossref PubMed Scopus (43) Google Scholar There may be some low level conversion of α-linolenic acid to EPA in humans, 2 Weaver BJ Corner EJ Bruce VM et al. Dietary canola oil: effect on the accumulation of eicosapentaenoic acid in the alkenylacyl fraction of human platelet ethanolamine phosphoglyceride. Am J Clin Nutr. 1990; 51: 594-598 Abstract Full Text PDF PubMed Scopus (42) Google Scholar , 3 Corner EJ Bruce VM McDonald BE Accumulation of eicosapentaenoic acid in plasma phospholipids of subjects fed canola oil. Lipids. 1990; 25: 598-601 Crossref PubMed Scopus (15) Google Scholar but little or no increase in DHA has been found in plasma lipids or platelets.