N-3 Fatty Acids. Antithromboxane Activity. Effects on Redox Status of Blood Cells

N-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated ones that all derive from linolenic acid (18:3n-3) in animals. Together with linoleic acid (18:2n-6), that cannot be synthesized in animals, 18:3n-3 is considered as an essential fatty acid, especially in being the precursor of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA or 22:6n-3), the main polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) of the cerebrovascular system (Salem, 1989). A great interest in n-3 fatty acids also consists in their ability to slow down the arachidonic acid cascade in blood and vascular cells, resulting in a potential prevention of cardiovascular diseases (Leaf & Weber, 1988). The present article will focus on the antithromboxane activity of n-3 fatty acids from marine oil and on their effects as prooxidant/antioxidant molecules.