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Review of the potential pharmacological role of erucic acid: a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid

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Abstract

This comprehensive review aims to provide an overview of the pharmacological properties of erucic acid (EA) and highlight areas that require further research. EA is an omega-9 fatty acid found in certain vegetable oil, such as rapeseed oil has demonstrated favourable effects in rodents, including ameliorating myocardial lipidosis (fat accumulation in the heart muscle), congestive heart disease, hepatic steatosis (fat accumulation in the liver), and memory impairments. These findings have prompted regulatory bodies to establish limits on EA content in food oils. The studies were performed on rodents and led to caution on ingesting the EA at high levels. Moreover, EA is frequently utilized as a nutritional supplement for the treatment of adrenoleukodystrophy, myocardial disease, and memory improvement. The review of the article indicated that EA improves cognitive function, has a part in Huntington’s disease, interacts with peroxisome proliferator-activated receptors, inhibits elastase and thrombin, has anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-tumour properties, and inhibits influenza A virus. This article elucidates the pharmacological effects of EA, an omega-9 fatty acid.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Science, King Abdulaziz University, 21589, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Imran Kazmi, Fahad A. Al-Abbasi, Shareefa A. AlGhamdi, Amira M. Alghamdi, Abeer S. AlGhamdi & Khadijah B. Alkinani

  2. Department of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Pharmacy Program, Batterjee Medical College, P.O. Box 6231, 21442, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Muhammad Afzal

  3. Experimental Biochemistry Unit, King Fahd Medical Research Center, King Abdulaziz University, 21589, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia

    Shareefa A. AlGhamdi

  4. Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Jouf University, 72341, Sakaka, Aljouf, Saudi Arabia

    Sami I. Alzarea

  5. Department of Pharmacology, College of Pharmacy, Umm Al-Qura University, 21955, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

    Waleed Hassan Almalki

  6. Department of Public Health, Faculty of Health Sciences, Umm Al-Qura University, 21955, Makkah, Saudi Arabia

    Khadijah B. Alkinani

  7. School of Pharmacy, Glocal University, Saharanpur, 247121, India

    Nadeem Sayyed

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  1. Imran Kazmi
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Contributions

Conceptualization: Imran Kazmi; Original draft: Nadeem Sayyed; critical revision: Fahad A. Al-Abbasi, Muhammad Afzal, Shareefa A. AlGhamdi, Amira M. Alghamdi, Sami I. Alzarea, Abeer S. AlGhamdi, Khadijah B. Alkinani; funding: Waleed Hassan Almalki. The authors confirm that no paper mill and artificial intelligence was used.

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Kazmi, I., Afzal, M., Al-Abbasi, F.A. et al. Review of the potential pharmacological role of erucic acid: a monounsaturated omega-9 fatty acid. Naunyn-Schmiedeberg's Arch Pharmacol (2023). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00210-023-02875-x

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