Docosapentaenoic acid

This product is a high purity docosapentaenoic acid (DPA) that is ideal as a standard and for biological systems. Very long-chain polyunsaturated omega- 3 fatty acids such as DPA are thought to influence memory and cognition, protect neurons, and reduce inflammation. Docosapentaenoic acid is an intermediate in the invivo synthesis of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), polyunsaturated fatty acids that have been demonstrated as critical for many biological functions. DPA in humans is converted to EPA much more readily than to DHA. In animals and humans DPA is usually found acylated to phospholipids. Omega-3 fatty acids such as DPA and DHA have been shown to reduce the risk of acute coronary events in humans.1 Seal oil has been suggested as more efficient than fish oil at promoting healthy plasma lipid profiles and lowering thrombotic risk, possibly due to its high DPA and EPA content.2 DPA is more effective in inhibition of aggregation in platelets obtained from rabbit blood than EPA and DHA and it possesses greater endothelial cell migration ability than EPA, which is important in wound-healing processes.3 Recently DPA has been found to down-regulates the expression of genes involved in fat synthesis in liver cells.4