Neurobiology of Essential Fatty Acids

It is increasingly evident that polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), which in the past were often believed to be mere components of cellular membranes of neural tissue, are actually major determinants of the functional properties of neural cells and are intimately involved in brain disease processes. The two families of PUF A, which are derived from the essential polyenes, linoleic (18:26) and a-linolenic (18:33) acids, constitute a major proportion (-30%) of the total fatty acids esterified to b