Gamma linolenic acid (GLA, cis‐6, cis‐9, cis‐12‐octadecatrienoic acid) is a conditionally essential fatty acid of the n‐6 family. It is produced in the mammalian body from enzymatic desaturation of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that must be supplied by the diet. It is widely distributed in plant kingdom in trace amounts and is not present in major commercial vegetable seed oils. It is present in seeds of many species belonging to families Aceraceae, Boraginaceae, Cannabinaceae, Liliaceae, Onagraceae, Ranunculaceae, Saxifragaceae, and Scrophulariaceae. A very limited number of plant sources have been commercialized in last 30 years as a source of GLA, mainly in the health food industry and, to a limited extent, in pharmaceutical, pet food, and cosmetic industries. These include oils of borage, black currant, evening primrose, and recently, hemp. The total market for GLA‐containing oils is about $60–$70 million per year. Research on GLA in the last three decades has focused on the physiologic and pharmacologic effects, including its effects on second messenger system in the body. On the production side, the research focus is on identification of new sources and yield optimization. This chapter reviews the current state of knowledge about sources and nutritional and health benefits of GLA and attempts to identify areas for future research that will help develop markets for GLA.

Gamma‐linolenic acid (GLA, cis 6, cis 9, cis 12‐octadecatrienoic acid) is a conditionally essential fatty acid of the n‐6 family. It is produced in the mammalian body from enzymatic desaturation of linoleic acid, an essential fatty acid that must be supplied by the diet. It is widely distributed in plant kingdom in trace amounts, and is not present in major commercial vegetable seed oils. It is present in seeds of many species belonging to families Aceraceae, Boraginaceae, Cannabinaceae, Liliaceae, Onagraceae, Ranunculaceae, Saxifragaceae, and Scrophulariaceae. A very limited number of plant sources have been commercialized in last 30 years as a source of GLA, mainly in the health food industry and to a limited extent in pharmaceutical, pet food, and cosmetic industries. These include oils of borage, black currant, evening primrose, and recently hemp. The total market for GLA‐containing oils is about $60–$70 million per year. Research on GLA in last three decades has focused on the physiological and pharmacological effects, including its effects on second messenger system in the body. On the production side, research focus is on identification of new sources and yield optimization. This article reviews the current state of knowledge about sources, and nutritional and health benefits of GLA and attempts to identify areas for future research that will help develop markets for GLA.