The role of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) in the formation of the structure and functions of biomembranes

Abstract

Aim: To show the role of PUFA in the formation of biomembranes and to note the difference between ω-6 and ω-3 PUFA in action on the structure and some membrane functions.Methods: Analysis of the main publications on this issue over the past 10-15 years.Results: For the first time, a classification of fatty acids by their origin in the body, from various sources: microbes, plants, animals, is presented. The importance of the intake of long-chain PUFA (C20 and C22), the synthesis of which in the animal organism is limited, is emphasized. The direct effect of PUFA on membrane structures, which is not mediated by the products of their specific oxygenase oxidation, is shown.

Keywords

• polyunsaturated fatty acids
• biomembranes
• membrane functions