title: Conjugated fatty acids in food and their health benefits.
abstract: Conjugated fatty acids (CFAs) are a mixture of positional and geometric isomers of polyunsaturated fatty acids with conjugated double bonds. Reports indicate that CFAs have potent beneficial effects, including antitumor, antiobese, antiatherogenic and antidiabetic activities. The molecules have also been shown to prevent the onset of hypertension. Recent reports suggest that each CFA isomer has different functions, for example the 10trans,12cis isomer of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has anticarcinogenic, antiobese and antidiabetic effects, whereas the 9cis,11trans-CLA isomer exerts an anticancer effect. Although it would be interesting to know the effects of CFAs on humans, there are only few reports concerning the anticancer and antiobese effects of CLA in humans. More detailed evaluations of the physiological bioactivities of CFA isomers on lifestyle-related diseases in humans and animals will be of great interest in future studies.
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Nutrition Biochemistry, Department of Applied Biological Sciences, Saga University, 1 Honjo, Saga 840-8502, Japan.
authors.forename: Koji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nagao
authors.forename: Teruyoshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Yanagita
mesh_terms: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage; D005227:Fatty Acids / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage
chemical_list: D019440:Anti-Obesity Agents; D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D005227:Fatty Acids; D000960:Hypolipidemic Agents