アラキドン酸の必須性

概要

論文の詳細を見る
Arachidonic acid (ARA) is a major constituent of cell membranes, and thus plays important roles in the preservation of physiological and psychological function. In 1993, it has been reported that ARA status correlates with first year growth in preterm infants. A randomized controlled trial of early dietary supply of long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids and mental development in term infants has been carried out in 2000, showing that not only docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) but also ARA are necessary for the brain development. Moreover, it has been shown that age-related decline of ARA content in brain and brain function estimated by long-term potentiation (LTP) were reversed by dietary supply of ARA. We investigated the effect of ARA supplementation on aspects of brain function of elderly people by the measurement of the electroencephalogram of event related potentials, P300. In subjects administered ARA-enriched triglyceride capsules, P300 latency became significantly shorter and P300 amplitude slightly increased compared with those administered olive oil capsules. From these data it can be concluded that ARA is essential for human, particularly for infants and elderly people.
2007-12-25