Docosatetraenoylethanolamide (DEA) (Adrenoyl-ethanolamide) (Adrenoyl-EA) is an endogenous

ethanolamide Ethanolamides are chemical compounds which are amides formed from carboxylic acids and ethanolamine. Some ethanolamides are naturally occurring, such as anandamide, palmitoylethanolamide and prostamides, which play physiological roles as lipid neu ...

that has been shown to act on the cannabinoid (CB₁) receptor. DEA is similar in structure to

anandamide Anandamide (ANA), also known as ''N''-arachidonoylethanolamine (AEA), is a fatty acid neurotransmitter. Anandamide was the first endocannabinoid to be discovered: it participates in the body's endocannabinoid system by binding to cannabinoid r ...

(AEA, a recognized endogenous ligand for the CB₁ receptor), containing

docosatetraenoic acid Docosatetraenoic acid designates any straight chain 22:4 fatty acid. (''See'' essential fatty acid for nomenclature.) One isomer is of particular interest: * all-''cis''-7,10,13,16-docosatetraenoic acid is an ω-6 fatty acid with the common nam ...

in place of

arachidonic acid Arachidonic acid (AA, sometimes ARA) is a polyunsaturated omega-6 fatty acid 20:4(ω-6), or 20:4(5,8,11,14). It is structurally related to the saturated arachidic acid found in cupuaçu butter. Its name derives from the New Latin word ''ara ...

. While DEA has been shown to bind to the CB₁ receptor with similar potency and efficacy as AEA, its role as a

cannabinergic Cannabinoidergic, or cannabinergic, means "working on the endocannabinoid neurotransmitters". As with terms such as dopaminergic and serotonergic, related proteins and cellular components involved endocannabinoid signaling, such as the cannabi ...

neurotransmitter is not well understood. Docosatetraenoylethanolamide (DEA) has been found in Tropaeolum tuberosum (Mashua) and Leonotis leonurus (Wild Dagga / Lion's Tail).

References

Fatty acid amides Endocannabinoids Neurotransmitters {{Biochemistry-stub