Description
Heneicosapentaenoic Acid (HPA; ) is a 21:5 ω-3 fatty acid present in trace amounts in green algae and in fish oils. Its chemical composition is similar to eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA; ) except elongated with one carbon on the carboxyl end, placing the first double bond in the Δ
6 position. HPA can be used to study the significance of the position of the double bonds in n-3 fatty acids. It incorporates into phospholipids and into triacylglycerol in vivo with the same efficiency as EPA and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA; ) and exhibits strong inhibition of arachidonic acid synthesis from linoleic acid . Heneicosapentaenoic acid ethyl ester is a more lipophilic, stabilized form of the free acid.
Uses
A fatty acid ester from marine oils; it is used for prophylaxis and treatment of hypertension, hypertriglyceridemia, hypercholesterolemia.
