Conjugated fatty acids is jargon for

polyunsaturated fatty acid In biochemistry and nutrition, a polyunsaturated fat is a fat that contains a polyunsaturated fatty acid (abbreviated PUFA), which is a subclass of fatty acid characterized by a backbone with two or more carbon–carbon double bonds. Some polyunsa ...

s containing at least one pair of

conjugated double bond In physical organic chemistry, a conjugated system is a system of connected p-orbitals with delocalized electrons in a molecule, which in general lowers the overall energy of the molecule and increases stability. It is conventionally represent ...

s. An example of a conjugated fatty acid is the

rumenic acid Rumenic acid, also known as bovinic acid, is a conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) found in the fat of ruminants and in dairy products. It is an omega-7 trans fatty acid. Its lipid shorthand name is cis-9, trans-11 18:2 acid. The name was proposed by ...

, found in the

meat Meat is animal Tissue (biology), tissue, often muscle, that is eaten as food. Humans have hunted and farmed other animals for meat since prehistory. The Neolithic Revolution allowed the domestication of vertebrates, including chickens, sheep, ...

and

milk Milk is a white liquid food produced by the mammary glands of lactating mammals. It is the primary source of nutrition for young mammals (including breastfeeding, breastfed human infants) before they are able to digestion, digest solid food. ...

of ruminants. Most

unsaturated fatty acid In chemistry, in particular in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with an aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, ...

s that are doubly unsaturated do not feature conjugation, e.g.,

linoleic acid Linoleic acid (LA) is an organic compound with the formula . Both alkene groups () are ''cis''. It is a fatty acid sometimes denoted 18:2 (n−6) or 18:2 ''cis''-9,12. A linoleate is a salt or ester of this acid. Linoleic acid is a polyunsat ...

and

linoelaidic acid Linolelaidic acid is an omega-6 trans fatty acid (TFA) and is a cis–trans isomer of linoleic acid. It is found in partially hydrogenated vegetable oils. It is a white (or colourless) viscous liquid. TFAs are classified as conjugated and noncon ...

. Some conjugated fatty acids may confer health benefits ranging from the prevention of

hypertension Hypertension, also known as high blood pressure, is a Chronic condition, long-term Disease, medical condition in which the blood pressure in the artery, arteries is persistently elevated. High blood pressure usually does not cause symptoms i ...

to protection against certain forms of cancer, although more research is needed to confirm such effects. Clinical studies and animal models have shown that conjugated fatty acids confer physiological benefits such as the regulation of the synthesis and breakdown of lipids, reduction of inflammation, and

antioxidant Antioxidants are Chemical compound, compounds that inhibit Redox, oxidation, a chemical reaction that can produce Radical (chemistry), free radicals. Autoxidation leads to degradation of organic compounds, including living matter. Antioxidants ...

properties. Conjugated fatty acids include isomers of linoleic acid. Conjugated analogues linoleic acids are the most investigated conjugated fatty acids. Some conjugated fatty acids feature ''trans'' alkenes. For instance, the

(''cis''-9, ''trans''-11) is a conjugated

trans fatty acid Trans fat is a type of unsaturated fat that occurs in foods. Small amounts of trans fats occur naturally, but large amounts are found in some processed foods made with partially hydrogenated oils. Because consumption of trans fats is associated ...

. Studies have suggested that conjugated linoleic acids, an isomer of conjugated fatty acids, can modulate inflammatory responses in the body. However, CLA’s anti-inflammatory properties correlate to isomer dependence. For instance, (''cis''-9, ''trans''-11) CLA has been shown to have a decreased inflammatory effect on adipose tissues of mice with obesity-causing genes, while (''trans''-10, ''cis''-12) CLA reduces obesity in mice without affecting insulin resistance or adipose tissue inflammation.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Conjugated Fatty Acid Fatty acids

See also

References