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Mammals are unable to synthesize omega−3 fatty acids, but can obtain the shorter-chain omega−3 fatty acid ALA (18 carbons and 3 double bonds) through diet and use it to form the more important long-chain omega−3 fatty acids, EPA (20 carbons and 5 double bonds) and then from EPA, the most crucial, DHA (22 carbons and 6 double bonds). [2]
An omega−3 fatty acid is a fatty acid with multiple double bonds, where the first double bond is between the third and fourth carbon atoms from the end of the carbon atom chain. "Short-chain" omega−3 fatty acids have a chain of 18 carbon atoms or less, while "long-chain" omega−3 fatty acids have a chain of 20 or more.
For example, α-linolenic acid is classified as a n−3 or omega−3 fatty acid, and so it is likely to share a biosynthetic pathway with other compounds of this type. The ω− x , omega− x , or "omega" notation is common in popular nutritional literature, but IUPAC has deprecated it in favor of n − x notation in technical documents. [ 13 ]
Lists of fatty acids include: ... List of omega-3 fatty acids, a class of unsaturated fatty acids; See also. All pages with titles containing fatty acids
The first double bond is located at the third carbon from the methyl end of the fatty acid chain, known as the n end. Thus, α-linolenic acid is a polyunsaturated n−3 (omega-3) fatty acid. It is a regioisomer of gamma-linolenic acid (GLA), an 18:3 (n−6) fatty acid (i.e., a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid with three double bonds).
According to Mount Sinai, the American diet typically has 14 to 25 times more omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3 fatty acids. “The issue isn’t the amount of omega-6 oil we consume,” Ali says, ...
Valeric acid: Pentanoic acid CH 3 (CH 2) 3 COOH C5:0 Caproic acid: Hexanoic acid CH 3 (CH 2) 4 COOH C6:0 Enanthic acid: Heptanoic acid CH 3 (CH 2) 5 COOH C7:0 Caprylic acid: Octanoic acid CH 3 (CH 2) 6 COOH C8:0 Pelargonic acid: Nonanoic acid CH 3 (CH 2) 7 COOH C9:0 Capric acid: Decanoic acid CH 3 (CH 2) 8 COOH C10:0 Undecylic acid: Undecanoic ...
Omega-3 fatty acids have a double bond three carbons away from the methyl carbon, whereas omega-6 fatty acids have a double bond six carbons away from the methyl carbon. The illustration below shows the omega-6 fatty acid, linoleic acid. Polyunsaturated fatty acids can be classified in various groups by their chemical structure: