ABSTRACT
Polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) have been receiving increasing attention due to their involvement in human health. Several of them, specifically linoleic acid (LA, 18:2(n-6)), cl-linolenic acid (ALA, 18:3(n-3)), y-linolenic acid (GLA, 18:3(n-6)) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4(n-6)) are considered essential for human nutrition (WHO/FAO, 1977). On the other hand, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5(n-3)) has recently been found to be beneficial in coronary disease (Nelson, 1972; van Gent et al., 1979; Bronsgeest-Schoute et al., 1981; Dyerberg, 1986; Singh and Chandra, 1988; Simopoulos, 1991; Iacono and Dougherty, 1993; Nettleton, 1993), and its positive effect in certain types of cancer, and other aspects of human health has also been suggested (Cohen el al., 1995). Finally, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6(n-3)) is involved mainly in the development of the nervous system and retina (Innis, 199 1; Brown, 1994).
