Efficacy and Biomedical Roles of Unsaturated Fatty Acids as Bioactive Food Components

Unsaturated fatty acids (UFAs) as bioactive compounds possess a wide range of biomedical functions and a lack or shortage of them may cause serious harm to human body health. Biochemically, UFAs have attracted growing interest, and this attention arises not only from biomedical reasons but also economic ones. Among these fatty acids, omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids are considered the most efficient and safe compounds which can be used for expanding and identification of novel functionalities. They are considered essential membrane components and are associated with a variety of biological processes. For example, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) play a central role in the proper functioning of the nervous system like anti-atherogenic properties and improve the functioning of the cardiovascular system. Briefly, understanding the relationship between these properties and potential biomedical applications of UFAs may help to elucidate and facilitate the development of novel pathogenesis strategies regarding their disorders in human health and diseases. This review provides the most suitable functional roles and potential mechanisms of UFAs associated with human health and nutrition.