title: Lipid emulsions in parenteral nutrition: current applications and future developments.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A parenteral lipid emulsion (LE), used as a key source of energy, essential fatty acids (FAs), and fat-soluble vitamins, is an integral part of a parenteral nutrition (PN) regimen. The conventional LEs, such as soybean oil (SO)-based emulsions, have caused concerns about the potential adverse effects involving oxidative stress, inflammation, and immune response probably because of undesirable FA composition.
  
  
  METHODS
  Recently, alternative LEs, optimizing the FA composition with partial substitution of SO with medium-chain triglyceride (MCT), olive oil (OO), and fish oil (FO), have been developed and applied in clinical practice. This review summarizes the characteristics and beneficial clinical effects of alternative parenteral LEs in critically ill, pediatric, and long-term PN patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  More clinical data from sufficiently high-powered studies are required to characterize the integral biological properties of alternative LEs for further selection to fit individual needs and disease characteristics. Simultaneously, potential lipid sources with desirable FA compositions and biological properties should be selected to develop new therapeutic LEs. As supplements to current parenteral lipids, the new LEs with different therapeutic effects are expected to fit specified subpopulations of patients with different diseases. Great efforts should be devoted to the development of parenteral LEs.
authors.affiliation: Shenyang Pharmaceutical University, Department of Pharmaceutics Science , Shenyang , China.
authors.forename: Tianyang
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ren
authors.forename: Lin
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Cong
authors.forename: Yueqi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Yilin
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Bin
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.forename: Xia
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lin
authors.forename: Yu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Xing
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Tang
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002626:Chemistry, Pharmaceutical / Q000379:methods; D004655:Emulsions / Q000737:chemistry*; D006801:Humans; D008055:Lipids / Q000737:chemistry*; D010288:Parenteral Nutrition / Q000379:methods*; D057947:Parenteral Nutrition Solutions / Q000008:administration & dosage* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D004655:Emulsions; D008055:Lipids; D057947:Parenteral Nutrition Solutions