Fatty Acid, Obesity and Metabolic Syndrome

Dear Colleagues,

Fatty acids (FA) are central in various physiological processes and are acquired from dietary sources or generated by de novo lipogenesis in the hepatic and adipose cells and stored as triglycerides that act as fuel reservoirs. Among the FA classes, the long-chain polyunsaturated FA (LCPUFA) are especially relevant because they are an integral part of cell membranes and participate in synthesizing bioactive molecules that regulate multiple signaling pathways. Therefore, the importance of FA in conditions of health or diseases is indisputable. Metabolic syndrome (MS) is a conjunction of several disorders, including abdominal obesity, hyperglycemia, hypertriglyceridemia, and hypertension. It is well documented that abnormal FA metabolism, such as excessive intake of saturated and trans-fatty acid, leads to a pro-inflammatory state that finally originates the components of MS. On the other hand, n-3 PUFA and short-chain fatty acids generated through colonic fermentation of dietary fibers have anti-inflammatory properties with beneficial effects on MS. Albeit to the increase of knowledge, there are still important issues that must be addressed together with the special attention to discoveries about properties of FA and its derivatives.

The importance of fatty acids (FA) in multiple biological processes is widely recognized; however, alterations in its metabolism and the excessive consumption of saturated and trans-FA are involved in the origin of obesity and its related disorders, resulting in metabolic syndrome (MS). On the other hand, n-3 long-chain polyunsaturated FA (LCPUFA) and short-chain fatty acids have demonstrated beneficial effects in the control of components of MS; however, important issues must be addressed to understand the molecular basis behind the healthy or unhealthy effects of different types of FA. Moreover, more research must be done to elucidate the achievements of dietary strategies involving FA supplementation. The role of FA in the early stages of development, and maternal–fetal FA transfer, is of particular interest because of its implications in the development of MS in the offspring. Similarly, the increase in pediatric obesity requires deepening into the mechanism pathophysiology that conditions the development of MS, among them the role of FA. We are pleased to invite you to submit articles in relation to these topics and others that contribute to increase the knowledge about the of fatty acids on obesity and MS. We are certain that this Special Issue will be a great contribution to basic and clinical researchers interested in avoiding and treating the deleterious consequences of MS.

Dr. Manuel A. Maliqueo
Guest Editor

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• fatty acid
• polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA)
• obesity
• dyslipidemia
• hypertension
• diabetes
• non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NALFD)
• maternal obesity
• fetal development
• pediatric obesity
• n-3 PUFA supplementation
• n-6 PUFA
• short-chain fatty acids
• microbiome