Omega Fatty Acid: Role on its Brain Developmental Activity

PUFAs in the n-3 and n-6 (omega-3 and omega-6) families play a number of important physiological roles as components of cell membranes, as signaling mediators, and as precursors of signaling mediators. The role of PUFAs, particularly n-3 PUFAs, in brain development is well established [1]. There is also increasing evidence that suboptimal levels of n-3 PUFAs, as a result of inadequate diet or metabolic deficiencies, appear to interact with genetic and environmental factors in the etiologies of a variety of neuropsychiatric disorders.PUFAs are important dietary fats containing more than one double bond, and are named according to the number of carbons they contain, the number of double bonds, and the position of the first double bond from the methyl end. Long- chain PUFAs, which are at least 20 carbons in length, have important functional roles as components of membrane phospholipids and as signaling molecules in all tissues including the brain.

 

Author(s): Csaba Pleh

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