Alpha-Linolenic Acid and the Metabolism of Arachidonic Acid

Recognition of α-linolenic acid (LnA)* as an EFA in higher animals has been late in forthcoming, in sharp contrast to the abundance of reports demonstrating the essentiality of LA in many animal species, including humans.1 Evidence for an essential role in LnA in vision of Rhesus monkeys has been described,2 and cases of human LnA deficiency have been reported3.