Shalini Khatri, S. Yadav, V. Sharma
ABSTRACT
Gamma linolenic acid (GLA, cis-6, cis-9, cis-12-octadecatrienoic acid) is a conditionally essential fatty acid of the n-6 family. GLA is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). The fatty acid molecule is comprised of 18 carbon atoms with three double bonds. It is produced in the mammalian body from enzymatic desaturation of linoleic acid by the enzyme delta-6-desaturase., an essential fatty acid that must be supplied by the diet. It is widely distributed in plant kingdom in trace amounts and is not present in major commercial vegetable seed oils. It is present in seeds of many species belonging to families Aceraceae, to the more favourable prostaglandins and leukotriene’s, making it helpful for diseases that involve inflammation. GLA is widely used to treat diabetic neuropathy and cyclic mastalgia, a condition marked by breast pain associated with the menstrual cycle. GLA has also been proposed as a treatment for many other conditions Boraginaceae, Cannabinaceae, Liliaceae, Onagraceae, Ranunculaceae, Saxifragaceae, and Scrophulariaceae. The PUFA of omega 3 and omega 6 series play an significant role in health and disease by generating potent modulatory molecule for inflammatory responses, including eicosanoid (prostaglandin and leukotriene’s), and cytokines (interleukins) and affecting the gene expression of various bioactive molecules. GLA is further metabolized to dihomogamma linoleic acid (DGLA) which undergoes oxidative metabolism by cyclooxygenase and lipoxygenase to produce anti-inflammatory eicosanoid. These substances influence inflammation and pain; some of them increase symptoms, while others decrease them. GLA may swing the balance over
Keywords:Gamma linolenic acid, Dihomogamma linoleic acid, Essential fatty acid, Poly unsaturated fatty acid, Eicosanoids