Source | Generally - vegetable oils; longer chained- fatty acids in phytoplankton and tranferred down the marine nutrition chain;α-linolenic acid (18:3n-3) also found in higher plant structural fats; eicosapentaenoic acid (20:5n-3) predominantly found in fish oils | Generally derived from plants, grain and vegetable oils;linoleic acid (18:2 n-6) mainly in dietary vegetables and plant lipids - safflower, sunflower, soybean, borage, evening primrose; arachidonic acid (20:4n-6) predominantly in animal fats |
Function | Precursors of signal molecules, constituents of membrane phospholipids | Precursors of signal molecules, constituents of membrane phospholipids |
Derivatives | Eicosanoids including series 5 leukotrienes LTB5, prostaglandins eg PGE3, PGI3, thromboxanes eg TxA3
| Eicosanoids including leukotrienes eg LTB4, LTC4, prostaglandins eg PGE2, PGI2thromboxanes eg TxA2
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