Branched fatty acid esters of hydroxy fatty acids (FAHFAs) are endogenous lipids found in adipose tissue and serum that correlate with insulin sensitivity and are reduced in insulin-resistant humans. Structurally, they are characterized by a branched ester linkage between a fatty acid and a hydroxy-fatty acid. Different positions of the branched ester on the hydroxy fatty acid results in different isomers. FAHFA(22:6(4Z,7Z,10Z,13Z,16Z,19Z)/14-O-22:6(4Z,7Z,10Z,13Z,16Z,19Z)), in particular, is formed from the condensation of the carboxy group of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) with the hydroxy group of 14-hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid. It is alternatively named 14-DHAHDHA since it is the 14-hydroxy isomer of the DHAHDLA (docosahexaenoic acid-hydroxydocosahexaenoic acid) family.
Belongs to the class of organic compounds known as very long-chain fatty acids. These are fatty acids with an aliphatic tail that contains at least 22 carbon atoms.
