Polyunsaturated fatty acids metabolic pathway

The **polyunsaturated fatty acids metabolic pathway** refers to the network of biochemical reactions responsible for the synthesis, modification, and breakdown of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) in living organisms. PUFAs are characterized by having two or more double bonds in their hydrocarbon chains and include essential nutrients such as omega‐3 (e.g., α-linolenic acid [ALA], eicosapentaenoic acid [EPA], docosahexaenoic acid [DHA]) and omega‐6 fatty acids (e.g., linoleic acid [LA], arachidonic acid [AA])[5]. These pathways involve multiple enzyme classes—primarily desaturases and elongases—that introduce double bonds and extend carbon chains during biosynthesis. The oxidative metabolism of PUFAs produces lipid mediators with diverse biological effects; n‐6–derived mediators generally promote inflammation while n‐3–derived ones tend to be anti-inflammatory[3]. Imbalances in these pathways have been implicated in various diseases including cardiovascular disorders, inflammatory conditions, cancer, neurodegeneration, and metabolic syndromes such as MAFLD[7][4][5]. The “polyunsaturated fatty acids metabolic pathway” is not itself a discrete molecular target but rather encompasses many proteins/enzymes that could serve as therapeutic targets. **Note:** This entry is considered incorrect as a therapeutic target because it describes an entire *pathway* rather than a specific molecule/protein/receptor/enzyme that can be directly targeted by drugs. For structured data purposes you should extract individual components from this pathway if you require actionable drug targets.

Other names

PUFA metabolic pathwayPolyunsaturated fatty acid metabolismPUFA biosynthesis and degradation pathways