GLYCEROLIPIDS OF OMEGA-3 POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS

EVIDENCE IS ACCUMULATING THAT DIETARY SUPPLEMENTATION WITH FISH OIL TRIGLYCERIDES IS A POTENTIALLY ATTRACTIVE PROPHYL- ACTIC AND THERAPEUTIC TOOL FOR CORONARY VASCULAR DISEASE. IT MAY ALSO BE USEFUL FOR IMMUNE AND OTHER DISORDERS RESPON-SIVE TO MODULATION OF EICOSANOID CASCADE AND EICOSANOID MEDIATED CELLULAR FUNCTIONS. THE PHYSIOLOGICAL EFFECTS OF DIETARY FISH OILS HAVE BEEN TRACED TO THEIR OMEGA-3 POLY- UNSATURATED FATTY ACID BUILDING BLOCKS. HOWEVER, RIGOROUS PROOF IS NOT AVAILABLE BECAUSE: (1) FISH OILS ARE EXCEED- INGLY COMPLEX MIXTURES; (2) FEEDING TRIALS WITH HIGHLY PURIFIED OMEGA-3 FATTY ACID DERIVATIVES HAVE NOT BEEN COMPLETED; AND (3) THE MORE READILY ACCESSIBLE DERIVATIVES SUCH AS ETHYL EICOSAPENTAENOATE ARE POORLY DIGESTED AND ABSORBED AND ARE NOT SUITABLE FOR SUCH TRIALS. THE LONG- TERM GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO DESIGN AND DEVELOP NOVEL GLYCEROLIPID DERIVATIVES OF OMEGA-3 POLYUNSATURATED FATTY ACIDS THAT WILL BE READILY DIGESTIBLE WITH THE RESULTING OMEGA-3 POLYUNSATURATED PRODUCTS ABLE TO BE EFFICIENTLY ABSORBED FROM THE DIGESTIVE TRACT. THESE COMPOUNDS WILL BE USEFUL NOT ONLY IN THE CONFIRMATORY FEEDING TRIALS MENTIONEDABOVE, AND IN OTHER RESEARCH STUDIES, BUT ALSO AS POTENTIAL PROPHYLACTIC AND THERAPEUTIC AGENTS. THE PHASE I OBJECTIVE IS TO ESTABLISH RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE STRUCTURE AND COMPOSITION OF MIXED ACID GLYCERIDES OF OMEGA-3 AND OF OTHERTYPES OF FATTY ACIDS, AND TO DETERMINE THE RELATIVE EASE OF DIGESTIBILITY TO READILY ABSORBABLE PRODUCTS. THE STUDY IS DESIGNED TO ESTABLISH THE FEASIBILITY OF THE LONG-TERM OBJECTIVES.