Eicosapentaenoic Acid – EPA
The benefits of long-chain omega-3 fatty acids for cardiovascular health are primarily built upon mixtures of docosahexaenoic (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acids (EPA). Eicosapentaenoic acid produces beneficial nutritional or pharmacological effects, especially with respect to three areas: the heart and circulatory system, the inflammatory area and cancers of mammary and colon tissue.
Eicosapentaenoic acid is an omega-3 fatty acid. It's found in the flesh of cold-water fish, including mackerel, herring, tuna, halibut, salmon, cod liver, whale blubber, or seal blubber.
The increasing applications for EPA and its inadequate conventional sources (i.e., fish oils) have led to an extensive search for alternative sources of production, including microalgae, lower fungi, and marine bacteria.
Chemically, EPA is designated as 20:5, n-3, indicating that it is a 20-carbon fatty acid containing 5 double bonds, with the first double bond located at the third carbon atom from the distal end of the fatty acid tail.
Eicosapentaenoic Acid – EPA
