Methyl octadecatrienoate (all cis-6,9,12)

gamma-Linolenic acid (GLA) is found in high amounts in plant oils but can also be found in animals and other sources. GLA has become a popular nutritional supplement due to its many possible benefits. Dietary supplementation of GLA has been used to treat diseases that have low levels of PUFAs that result from a deficiency in the delta-6-desaturase enzyme since GLA already contains the n-6 desaturation.1 Some evidence has suggested that GLA can prevent the triggering of hypertension.2 GLA is elongated in vivo to dihomo-gamma-linolenic acid (C20:3) which can be converted by inflammatory cells to 15-(S)-hydroxy-8,11,13-eicosatrienoic acid and prostaglandin E1 both of which have anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative properties.3 GLA along with eicosapentaenoic acid have been found to enhance calcium absorption, reduce excretion and increase calcium deposition in bone, making it a possible osteoporosis treatment.4 Due to cancer cells having very low levels of cis-unsaturated fatty acids GLA, along with other cis-unsaturated fatty acids, are being investigated for their antitumor potential.