Conjugated fatty acids is jargon for polyunsaturated fatty acids containing at least one pair of

conjugated double bond In theoretical chemistry, a conjugated system is a system of connected p-orbitals with delocalized electrons in a molecule, which in general lowers the overall energy of the molecule and increases Chemical stability, stability. It is Resonance ...

s. An example of a conjugated fatty acid is the

rumenic acid Rumenic acid, also known as bovinic acid, is a conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) found in the fat of ruminants and in dairy products. It is an omega-7 trans fatty acid. Its lipid shorthand name is cis-9, trans-11 18:2 acid. The name was proposed by ...

, found in the

meat Meat is animal flesh that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted, farmed, and scavenged animals for meat since prehistoric times. The establishment of settlements in the Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of animals such as chic ...

and

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. Immune factors and immune ...

of ruminants. Most

unsaturated fatty acid In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, f ...

s that are doubly unsaturated do not feature conjugation, e.g.,

linoleic acid Linoleic acid (LA) is an organic compound with the formula COOH(CH2)7CH=CHCH2CH=CH(CH2)4CH3. Both alkene groups are cis-trans isomerism, ''cis''. It is a fatty acid sometimes denoted 18:2 (n-6) or 18:2 ''cis''-9,12. A linoleate is a salt (chem ...

and

linoelaidic acid Linolelaidic acid is an omega-6 trans fatty acid (TFA) and is a geometric isomer of linoleic acid. It is found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. It is a white (or colourless) viscous liquid. TFAs are classified as conjugated and nonconjug ...

. Some conjugated fatty acids may confer health benefits ranging from the prevention of

hypertension Hypertension (HTN or HT), also known as high blood pressure (HBP), is a long-term medical condition in which the blood pressure in the arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms. Long-term high bl ...

to protection against certain forms of cancer, although more research is needed to confirm such effects. Clinical studies and animal models have shown that conjugated fatty acids confer physiological benefits such as the regulation of the synthesis and breakdown of lipids, reduction of inflammation, and

antioxidant Antioxidants are compounds that inhibit oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce free radicals. This can lead to polymerization and other chain reactions. They are frequently added to industrial products, such as fuels and lubricant ...

properties. Conjugated fatty acids include isomers of linoleic acid. Conjugated analogues linoleic acids are the most investigated conjugated fatty acids. The reason why the isomer of conjugated fatty acids are studied is because they have the potential to treat human illnesses. A biological activity that conjugated fatty acids have been studied for is the reduction of body fat and the increasing of lean body mass. There are experimental models that proved the ability of conjugated linoleic acid to reduce fat levels. This is why the scientific community see the potential to use conjugated fatty acids with active treatments to prevent obesity. However, research studies made in humans are in disagreement even though these studies have proven that the supplementation of conjugated linoleic acid has some benefits such as weight loss. On top of the research on conjugated linoleic acid on body weight regulation, isomers of conjugated linoleic acid have been shown ''

in vitro ''In vitro'' (meaning in glass, or ''in the glass'') studies are performed with microorganisms, cells, or biological molecules outside their normal biological context. Colloquially called "test-tube experiments", these studies in biology an ...

'' to inhibit the growth and division of a cell to two daughter cells, initiate cell death, and interfere with mutagenicity in human tumor cells. Conjugated fatty acids can have either a ''cis'' or ''trans'' configuration. For instance, the

(''cis''-9, ''trans''-11) is a conjugated

trans fatty acid In nutrition, biology, and chemistry, fat usually means any ester of fatty acids, or a mixture of such compounds, most commonly those that occur in living beings or in food. The term often refers specifically to triglycerides (triple e ...

. Studies have suggested that conjugated linoleic acids, an isomer of conjugated fatty acids, can modulate inflammatory responses in the body. However, CLA’s anti-inflammatory properties correlate to isomer dependence. For instance, (''cis''-9, ''trans''-11) CLA has been shown to have a decreased inflammatory effect on adipose tissues of mice with obesity-causing genes, while (''trans''-10, ''cis''-12) CLA reduces obesity in mice without affecting insulin resistance or adipose tissue inflammation.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conjugated Fatty Acid Fatty acids

See also

References