Fatty Acids Notes

Fatty Acids

Evaluation of Oils for Pharmaceutical Use

  • The British Pharmacopoeia (BP) and other pharmacopoeias require various quality and standardization tests for good quality oil.
  • Acid Value: Number of mg of KOH required to neutralize the free acids in 1 g of the fat.
    • A high acid value indicates an inferior sample.
  • Saponification Value: Number of mg of KOH required to neutralize the free acids and the liberated acids after hydrolysis of the fat.
  • Ester Value: Number of mg of KOH required to neutralize the acids, which are liberated after hydrolysis.
    • Ester Value=Saponification Value−Acid ValueEster\ Value = Saponification\ Value - Acid\ Value
  • Iodine Value: Number of parts of iodine monochloride that is absorbed by 100 parts by weight of the fat.
    • This gives a measure of unsaturation (alkenes) in the fat.
  • Other tests include the amount of unsaponifiable matter, melting point, refractive index, and specific gravity.

Cod-Liver Oil BP

  • Cod-liver oil is obtained from the fresh liver of various species of cod (genus Gadus).
  • Besides essential fatty acids, cod-liver oil contains vitamins A & D.
  • The unsaturation in the molecules of vitamins A & D makes them prone to oxidation; hence, antioxidants are added to the oil.
  • Uses:
    • Prevention & cure of rickets.
    • Relief of pain & muscle stiffness in rheumatoid arthritis patients.
      • Fish oils are more beneficial in rheumatoid arthritis than osteoarthritis.
    • Vitamin A is needed for the normal functioning of the retina.
    • Vitamin D is involved in the regulation of calcium & phosphorus.
      • Both are fat-soluble vitamins, and excessive intake is not recommended.
    • A new role for vitamin D in immunity & respiratory health has been revealed, including viral and bacterial respiratory infection, asthma, & chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Evening Primrose Oil BP

  • Evening primrose oil, obtained from the seeds of the plant Oenothera biennis, is used as a dietary supplement.
  • It contains approximately 8% gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) and 70% linoleic acid (LA) - both omega-6 fatty acids (ω6FA's). Both are 'essential fatty acids'.
  • GLA is not widely occurring in large amounts except in borage (starflower) (about 25% GLA), blackcurrant & human milk (8%).
  • GLA and LA are important precursors to the formation of potent compounds such as prostaglandins, thromboxanes & leukotrienes, which regulate specific body functions.
  • Delta-6-desaturase is known to be blocked in conditions such as diabetes & with excessive alcohol intake.
  • The activity of delta-6-desaturase is decreased in individuals suffering from atopic eczema (itchy, dry & cracked skin).
    • After oral intake of the oil, increased levels of PGE1 have been claimed to reduce the symptoms of eczema, but there have been conflicting results.
  • Other conditions that have been reported to benefit from the intake of evening primrose oil are premenstrual syndrome & rheumatoid arthritis.

Using Fatty Acids in Oral Formulations to Improve Drug Delivery

  • Researchers have used triglyceride fatty acids to develop an oral formulation for drugs that are usually injected or taken intravenously.
  • A new system delivers drugs straight into tumors with fewer side effects: A new drug delivery system disguises chemotherapeutics as fat in order to destroy tumors.
    • To develop the targeting system, Nathan Gianneschi from Northwestern University and his team engineered a long-chain fatty acid with two binding sites – able to attach to drugs – on each end. The fatty acid and its drugs are then hidden inside human serum albumin (HSA).
  • Omega-3 supplements can improve ADHD symptoms in some young people (more evidence Nov 2019, The Pharmaceutical Journal).
  • Analysis of the umbilical cords of newborns suggests that maternal vitamin D supplementation may help to reduce the risk of allergic conditions in early life.
  • Researchers find a strong link between vitamin D deficiency and diabetes-related deaths.
  • Harmful Bacteria Combated by Breast Milk Compound
  • Biodiesel is a lipid-based alternative fuel mostly composed of methyl esters of fatty acids.
  • Vitamin Derivative Makes for a More Plastic Brain, which vitamin A derivatives affect synaptic plasticity, which may aide the development of new therapeutic strategies for brain diseases, The serial mediation effect of inattention and bedtime procrastination. Personality and Individual Differences. 2021; 171.
  • Adjuvant Derived From Marine Sponges Boosts Effect of COVID-19 Vaccine, Li YQ, Yan C, Wang XF, et al. A new iNKT-cell agonist-adjuvanted SARS-CoV-2 subunit vaccine elicits robust neutralizing antibody responses. ACS Infect Dis. 2022
  • Bjornevik K, Cortese M, Furtado JD, et al. Association of polyunsaturated fatty acids and clinical progression in patients with ALS: Post-hoc analysis of the EMPOWER trial. Neurol. 2023. (particularly alpha-linolenic acid)