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EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid)

Fatty acids are constituents of lipids, which are required by all living organisms for growth, survival and reproduction. Among the fatty acids, saturated fatty acids are those with a chemical structure in which the carbon atoms are connected to each other only by single bonds and contain no double bonds. Unsaturated fatty acids are those in which one or more of the carbon atoms are connected to each other by double bonds. Polyunsaturated fatty acids, or PUFAs are those in which more than one such double bonds are found. Long chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) that contain 20 or 22 carbon atoms are essential components of membrane phospholipids and serve as precursors of eicosanoids like prostaglandin, leukotrienes and thromboxanes. They also play a pivotal role in various biological functions such as fetal growth and development, retina functioning and the inflammatory response. The omega-6 fatty acids and the omega-3 fatty acids are the two major classes of long chain PUFAs. The three most important of the long chain fatty acids are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and docosapentaenoic (DPA). These fatty acids are essential because they have a vital role in maintaining the integrity and fluidity of the membrane which surrounds human cells and because they cannot be synthesized by the body. Polyunsaturated fatty acids represented by eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) play an important roll as a component of a biomembrane. As one of fatty acids in fish oil, EPA abundantly exists in the natural world. Highly unsaturated fatty acids such as EPA have been noted from the standpoint of the science of nutrition. Nutritional research has indicated that the addition of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) to the human diet appears to reduce triglyceride levels in the blood. This in turn has the potential of reducing the risk of heart disease and atherosclerosis. EPA is also the precursor of several prostaglandins, which are compounds active in lowering blood pressure and causing constriction of the smooth muscle in the bronchi of the lungs. It has also been suggested that EPA may be effective for preventing thrombosis. Omega-3-fatty acids, including EPA, have been found in the oils of cold water marine fish which is the primary source of commercially available EPA. It is believed that the omega-3-fatty acids found in fish originate from phytoplankton which are at the base of the marine food chain. The belief is due to the fact that many phytoplankton species are found to contain reserves of oil containing varying amounts of EPA. Eicosapentaenoic acid is important as a substrate for production of three types of prostaglandins, has platelet coagulation inhibitory action and is studied for applications to treatment and prophylactic agents for thrombosis. EPA has especially high activity for lowering plasma cholesterol level among polyunsaturated fatty acids having said action, and is highly effective in comparison with linoleic acid and the like usually contained in plant oil.

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