Chapter 7 

 ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS 



Page 



I. Nomenclature and Formulas 268 



II. Chemistry 268 



A. Isolation 270 



B. Synthesis 272 



C. Commercial Preparations 272 



D. Chemical Properties 273 



E. Oxidation 274 



F. Physical Properties 275 



III. Biochemical Sj'stems 277 



IV. Specificity of Action 278 



V. Biogenesis and Metabolism 280 



A. Dietarj^ Factors Affecting Metabolism 283 



VI. Estimation 286 



A. Spectrophotometric Anah'sis 286 



B. Chemical Methods 288 



1. Thioeyanogen Value 288 



2. Polybromide Methods 289 



C. Enzymatic Method 289 



D. Animal Assay 290 



VII. Occurrence in Foods 291 



VIII. Effects of Deficiency 292 



A. In Animals and Insects 292 



1. Rat 292 



2. Dog 295 



3. Chicken 296 



4. Mouse 297 



5. Large Animals 297 



6. Insects 298 



7. Histopathology _,. 298 



B. In Human Beings 300 



1 . Low Fat Diets in Human Beings 301 



2. Indirect Evidences of Need for Essential Fatty Acids 303 



3. Data from Animal Studies with Possible Applications 306 



4. Spectroscopic Study of Serum Lipids in Human Subjects .... 310 



5. Summary of Effects of Deficiency 311 



IX. Pharmacology 311 



A. Chemical Aspects 311 



B. Biological Aspects 313 



C. Vitamin Interrelationships 315 



D. Action on Physiologic Processes 316 



E. Chemotherapy 317 



267 



