ABSTRACT
Growing interest in the nutritional and pharmaceutical relevance of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) has created an increasing demand for these lipids. In particular, long-chain ω-3 PUFA are within the focus since a large number of epidemiological studies, clinical trials, and experimental animal studies indicate that they exhibit health benefits against numerous diseases such as coronary heart disease, inflammatory disease, some cancers, and various mental disorders. In addition, docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6 n-3), presumably the most important ω-3 PUFA, is essential for the development of the brain and the retina of the eye (see Chapter 12).
