Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid absorption (LC-PUFA absorption)

Long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid (LC-PUFA) absorption is a multi-step physiological process occurring primarily in the small intestine, involving the digestion of dietary lipids and their subsequent uptake by enterocytes. This process is not a single molecular target but rather a pathway mediated by several key proteins, including Fatty Acid Translocase (CD36), Fatty Acid Transport Proteins (FATPs/SLC27 family), and Plasma Membrane Fatty Acid Binding Proteins (FABPpm) [Source: PubMed: 29024031]. Once LC-PUFAs are released from complex lipids by pancreatic lipases, they are transported across the brush border membrane via both passive diffusion and protein-mediated transport mechanisms [Source: StatPearls: NBK535404]. Dysregulation of LC-PUFA absorption is a major factor in the development of metabolic disorders such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease [Source: NIH: PMC5040854]. Pharmaceutical interventions typically target specific components of this process; for example, Orlistat inhibits lipases to prevent the formation of absorbable fatty acids, thereby reducing overall caloric intake [Source: PubChem: 3034034]. Because this entry describes a complex biological process rather than a discrete protein or receptor, it is classified as a physiological pathway involving multiple distinct therapeutic targets.

Other names

LC-PUFA uptakeIntestinal fatty acid absorptionLipid absorptionFatty acid transport

Inhibition of pancreatic and gastric lipases to prevent the breakdown of dietary triglycerides into absorbable free fatty acids; inhibition of sterol and lipid transporters to reduce intestinal uptake.