n-3 Fatty Acids: Incorporation into Tissue Lipids and Interactions with Dietary Components

Abstract

Digestion and absorption of n-3 fatty acids involve three different steps, namely their hydrolysis from the alcohol to which they are bound, their absorption, and their subsequent uptake and incorporation into membranes of various cell types. Gastrointestinal hydrolysis of lipids introduced with the diet and intestinal absorption of fatty acids are usually considered relatively simple processes for the human organism. However the absorption of lipids containing n-3 fatty acids presents some problems, related to the poor activity of pancreatic lipase towards these compounds.^1,2 Two preparations of n-3 fatty acids are nowadays commercially available: in one case eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) are esterified in the form of triglycerides; in the other, they are bound to ethanol in the form of ethyl esters.