Description
DHA is an essential fatty acid and the most abundant ω-3 fatty acid in neural tissues, especially in the retina and brain. DHA constitutes as much as 40% of the total PUFA pool in retinal and neuronal membranes. Supplementation of dietary DHA using fish oil inhibits the progression of atherosclerosis and delays photoreceptor degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa. Neonatal DHA deprivation causes developmental defects and can lead to hypertension in rats.Docosahexaenoic acid, DHA, is an omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid with 22 carbons and six double bonds, the first double bond occuring at position three from the methyl terminus (22:6 n-3). DHA is a component of lipid membranes and the myelin sheath. DHA also serves as a precursor for signaling molecules such as prostaglandins and eicosanoids