Glucose -6-phosphate
Analysis of fatty acids in human plasma Scientific commentaries / Comentários científicos Rev Bras Hematol Hemoter. 2010;32(6):430-433 In humans, omega-6 (n-6) and omega-3 (n-3) series fatty acids are important to maintain cell membranes, brain function and nerve impulse transmission.(1) Linoleic (LA, 18:2 n-6) and alpha-linolenic (LNA, 18:3 n-3) acids are strictly essential fatty acids, which must be obtained through the diet. The other n-6 and n-3 fatty acids can be synthesized from LA and LNA or be obtained through the diet.Of the n-6 and n-3 series fatty acids of nutritional value, arachidonic (AA, 20:4 n-6), eicosapentaenoic (EPA, 20:5 n-3) and docosahexaenoic (DHA, 22:6 n-3) acids are the most important.As in the human body, LA, an n-6 fatty acid, must be converted into AA, and LNA, an n-3 fatty acid, into EPA and DHA in order for them to exercise their functions, many kinetic studies are performed to measure these conversions from diets with different n-6/n-3 ratios.( 1) The first step in the process to assess the fatty acid composition of different foods and biological materials is to extract the lipids. Extraction methods are crucial to accurately measure fatty acid concentrations, as methods may degrade some fatty acids, especially polyunsaturated fatty acids and thus overestimate the true values.Accordingly, in this issue of the Journal of Hematology and Hemotherapy, a study by Morais et al. Bligh and Dyer, (4) Rose-Gottlieb, (5) and Gerber (6) and an alternative technique, proposed by the authors, with the objective of comparing the efficiency of lipid extraction and to evaluate the fatty acid composition in total lipids from human plasma.