Naturally occurring unsaturated fatty acids: Arachidonic acid

Arachidonic acid, which is polyunsaturated fatty acid, is used in the animal body for a number of biological functions. Arachidonic acid (AA), all-cis-5, 8, 11, 14-eicosatetraenoic acid (where eicos or eikosi in Greek refers to the number 20), is an omega-6 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA).
Its chemical formula is C20H32O2, 20:4(ω -6), where 20:4 refers to its 20 carbon atom chain with four double bonds, and (ω -6) refers to the position of the first double bond from the last, omega carbon atom. Arachidonic acid has an average mass of 304.467 g/mol and usually assumes a hairpin structure.

It is a component of phospholipid membranes and is a precursor to an extensive group of compounds called eicosanoids. Three of them: prostaglandins, leukotrienes and thromboxanes are largely responsible for the regulation of inflammatory processes.

Arachidonic acid can be stored in membrane phospholipids and released from nuclear envelop or plasma membrane by cytosolic phospholipase A2 (cPLA2), either constitutively or in respond to a variety of cell specific stimuli, including growth factors, hormones, cytokines, signaling molecules, or cell trauma.

Arachidonic acid can be provided to humans and mammals by an exogenous source supplied either by the direct consumption of dietary food that contains high level of arachidonic acid, whole eggs, salmon, tuna, a wide range of lean meat and its visible meat fats, or through the parent molecule, linoleic acid (LA; 18:2n-6).
Naturally occurring unsaturated fatty acids: Arachidonic acid

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Nutrition of peanut oil

Peanut oil obtained by the cold pressing of peanuts, When filtered it is sweet, nearly colorless and used both for table use and in cooking.

Peanut oil contains about 17% to 20% saturated and 80 % to 83% unsaturated fatty acids. The saturated part consists mainly of palmitate, with significant amounts of stearic acid, arachidic acid, and higher fatty acids.

The principle fatty acid in peanut oil is oleic, a monounsaturated associated with good oxidative and frying stability that has been found to lower serum LDL cholesterol concentrations.

It also has a good portion of vitamin E, which is essential for a healthy nervous system. Like other oils, the peanut variety is sodium and cholesterol-free.

Peanut oil does not contain any linolenic acid, a major source of oxidative rancidity problems in some vegetable oils.
Nutrition of peanut oil

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Safflower edible uses

Around the world, safflower is mainly grown for its edible oil cooking salad oil and margarine. Safflower is cultivated in the United States as an oilseed crop.

Safflower oil is sprayed on various edible products to prevent them absorbing or losing water and thus extends their shelf life.

In affluent countries, research linking health and diet has increased the demand for the oil, which has the highest polyunsaturated/saturated ratios of any oil available.

In addition to seed, safflower has been known and grown since ancient times for its brilliantly colored flowers, which were used to extract yellow and orange dyes for food and fabrics.

Recently interest in safflower as a source of color for use in food is gaining importance owing to a recent ban on the use of synthetic colors in food in the European countries and elsewhere.

Safflower oil is popular for edible uses because of its high unsaturated fatty acid content.

Polyunsaturated fats are associated with lowering of blood cholesterol. Also, mono-unsaturated such as oleic safflower oil tends to lower blood levels of LDL without affecting HDL. The flowers are also reported to have medicinal properties to cure several chronic diseases, like hypertension, cardiovascular diseases, arthritis, spondylosis and sterility in both men and women.
Safflower edible uses

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