Table 1.
Unsaturated fatty acids and their fatty acid chain lengtha.
| SCFA (≤5 carbons) |
MCFA (6–12 carbons) |
LCFA (13–21 carbons) |
VLCFA (≥22 carbons) |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Saturated
no double bonds (C#:0) |
Formic (C1:0) Acetic (C2:0) Propionic (C3:0) Butyric (C4:0) Valeric (C5:0) |
Caproic (C6:0) Enanthic (C7:0) Caprylic (C8:0) Pelargonic (C9:0) Capric (C10:0) Undecylic (C11:0) Lauric (C12:0) b |
Tridecylic (C13:0) Myristic (C14:0) b Pentadecylic (C15:0) Palmitic (C16:0) b,c Margaric (C17:0) Stearic (C18:0) b Nonadecylic (C19:0) Arachidic (C20:0) Heneicosylic (C21:0) |
Behenic (C22:0) Tricosylic (C23:0) Lignoceric (C24:0) Pentacosylic (C25:0) Cerotic (C26:0) Carboceric (C27:0) Montanic (C28:0) Nonacosylic (C29:0) Melissic (C30:0) Hentriacontylic (C31:0) Lacceroic (C32:0) Psyllic (C33:0) Geddic (C34:0) Ceroplastic (C35:0) Hexatriacontylic (C36:0) Heptatriacontylic (C37:0) Octatriacontylic (C38:0) Nonatriacontylic (C39:0) Tetracontylic (C40:0) |
| Unsaturateda | ||||
|
Omega n-3
(C#:0, n-3) |
– | Octenoic (C8:1) Decenoic (C10:1) Decadienoic(C10:2) Lauroleic (C12:1) Laurolinoleic(C12:2) |
Myristovaccenic (C14:1) Myristolinoleic (C14:2) Myristolinolenic (C14:3) Palmitolinolenic (C16:3)c Palmitidonic (C16:4)c
α-Linolenic (C18:3) b Stearidonic (C18:4) Dihomo-α-linolenic (C20:3) Eicosatetraenoic (C20:4) Eicosapentaenoic (C20:5) b |
Clupanodonic (C22:5) Docosahexaenoic (C22:6)
9,12,15,18,21-Tetracosapentaenoic (C24:5) 6,9,12,15,18,21-Tetracosahexaenoic (C24:6) |
|
Omega n-5
(C#:0, n-5) |
– | – | Myristoleic (C14:1) Palmitovaccenic (C16:1)c α-Eleostearic (C18:3) β-Eleostearic (trans-C18:3) Punicic (C18:3) 7,10,13-Octadecatrienoic (C18:3) 9,12,15-Eicosatrienoic (C20:3) β-Eicosatetraenoic (C20:4) |
– |
|
Omega n-6
(C#:0, n-6) |
– | – | 8-Tetradecenoic (C14:1) 12-Octadecenoic (C18:1) Linoleic (C18:2) b Linolelaidic (trans-C18:2) γ-Linolenic (C18:3) Calendic (C18:3) Pinolenic (C18:3) Dihomo-linoleic (C20:2) Dihomo-γ-linolenic (C20:3) Arachidonic (C20:4) b |
Adrenic (C22:4) Osbond (C22:5) |
|
Omega n-7
(C#:0 n-7) |
– | - |
Palmitoleic (C16:1)
b,c
Vaccenic (C18:1) Rumenic (C18:2) Paullinic (C20:1) 7,10,13-Eicosatrienoic (C20:3) |
- |
|
Omega n-9
(C#:0, n-9) |
– | - |
Oleic (C18:1)
b
Elaidic (trans-C18:1) Gondoic (C20:1) Erucic (C22:1) Nervonic (C24:1) 8,11-Eicosadienoic (C20:2) Mead (C20:3) |
- |
| Omega n-10 | – | – | Sapienic (C16:1) | – |
| Omega n-11 | – | – | Gadoleic (C20:1) | – |
| Omega n-12 | – | – | 4-Hexadecenoic (C16:1)c Petroselinic (C18:1) 8-Eicosenoic (C20:1) |
– |
a
Note the differences in name designation for each fatty acid once it becomes unsaturated (fatty acids with at least one double bond). Note that there are no short-chain unsaturated FA. Nomenclature varies with the number of unsaturated carbons.
b
Most commonly studied dietary fatty acids.
c
Example of a fatty acids with the same number of carbons, but with a different configuration and number of carbon saturation. That is, a fatty acid can be either saturated, unsaturated, or classified as omega 3, 5, 6, 7, 9, etc., suggesting that the effect of said fatty acid could also vary based on metabolic alterations.