The role of docosahexaenoic acid in brain development and fetal alcohol syndrome.

The essential nature of n 3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in neurological development Neural membrane aminophospholipids are characterized by high concentrations of n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA), particularly docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6n-3). For example, adult human cerebral cortex phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) contains 30.5% C22:6n-3 while C22:6n-3 in the retina accounts for 22.2% of PE fatty acids (reviewed in [1,2]). T h e presence of high concentrations of C22:6n-3 in neural membranes suggests an important role in the function of the central nervous system (CNS). Present understanding of the significance of n-3 PUFA in neurological development and