The role of dietary polyunsaturated fatty acids in inflammation

Abstract

Low-grade systemic inflammation is at the base of the most chronic non-communicable diseases, which are reaching epidemic proportions worldwide. Key players in the regulation of inflammation are n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), in particular arachidonic acid (n-6) and eicosapentaenoic acid (n-3). They are precursors of eicosanoids - signaling molecules involved in modulating the intensity and duration of inflammatory responses. Eicosanoids derived from n-6 PUFAs have proinflammatory actions, while those derived from n-3 PUFAs act anti-inflammatory. Therefore, dietary intake of n-6 and n-3 PUFAs, as well as their ratio, could markedly affect the pathogenesis and manifestation of many chronic diseases associated with low-grade inflammation. This review will focus on the relationship between dietary PUFAs and inflammation, with reference to PUFAs status in plasma phospholipids in Serbian population.