Physiological Functions Related to the Essential Fatty Acids

Physiological Functions Related to the Essential Fatty Acids 

The classical demonstration of the necessity of EFA in the diet has been their effect on growth when administered to animals on a fat-free diet. When weanling rats are placed on a fat-free diet, they continue to 

The most consistent and pronounced deficiency symptom which has been observed in all species as a result of fat deficiency is the abnormal 

The skin symptoms resulting from pyridoxine deficiency and from lack of EFA closely resemble each other. Thus, Birch and Gy orgy (1936) reported that dermatitis, produced by a low-pyridoxine diet, could be cured when lard was added to the diet. In later work, Birch (1938) demonstrated that the presence of fat in the diet delayed the onset of skin symptoms on a diet low in vitamin Bj in fact, it was proved that the skin symptoms resulting from pyridoxine deficiency could be prevented by fat feeding even up to the time the animals succumbed from avitaminosis. Quackenbush et al. (1942b) noted that, although pyridoxine produced a temporary alleviation, it did not effect a cure. Pantothenic acid was completely without effect in counteracting the symptoms produced by fat deficiency. 

Linoleic and arachidonic acids are the most effective of the acids in clearing up the skin symptoms resulting from pyridoxine deficiency or from fat deficiency. Quackenbush and co-workers (1942a) are of the opinion that linoleic acid is more effective than linolenic acid as an antidermatitis factor. In line with this result. Burr et al. (1940) reported that com oil (which has no linolenic acid) is more potent in preventing the skin disorders of fat-deficient animals than is linseed oil (which is relatively rich in linolenic acid at the expense of linoleic acid). In fact, the ability of natural fats to counteract the skin disorders has been found to be in proportion to the linoleic acid content of the diet. According to Richardson et al. (1941) methyl arachidonate and methyl linoleate are equally effective in the treatment of the dermatitis produced by vitamin Be deficiency. 

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VII. Physiological Functions Related to the Essential Fatty Acids... 

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