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Dietary Supplementation of Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids in Caenorhabditis elegans
Published on: November 29, 2013
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Discovery of essential fatty acids
Arthur A Spector1, Hee-Yong Kim1
1Laboratory of Molecular Signaling, National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, National Institutes of Health, Bethesda, MD 20892.
Journal of Lipid Research
|October 24, 2014
Summary
Essential fatty acids, like linoleic acid, are vital nutrients not synthesized by the body. Discoveries in 1929 revealed their necessity, challenging previous nutritional beliefs.
Area of Science:
- Nutritional Science
- Biochemistry
- Lipid Research
Background:
- Dietary fat was historically viewed as a source of energy and fat-soluble vitamins.
- Fatty acids were not considered essential as they could be synthesized from carbohydrates.
Observation:
- In 1929, George and Mildred Burr observed a deficiency disease in rats fed a fat-free diet.
- This indicated a requirement for specific dietary fatty acids.
Findings:
- The Burrs identified linoleic acid as an essential fatty acid, crucial for preventing deficiency.
- They also identified linolenic acid (an omega-3 fatty acid) as essential.
Implications:
- The discovery of essential fatty acids revolutionized lipid research.
- It established the necessity of certain unsaturated fatty acids in the diet for human and animal health.
Keywords:
arachidonic aciddocosahexaenoic acideicosapentaenoic acidfat-soluble vitaminslinoleic acidprostaglandinsα-linolenic acidMore Related Videos
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