Creator: Dr. Reeja Tharu
Keywords: Evening Primrose Oil, chemists view, GLA, polyunsaturated fatty acid, carbon atoms, triglycerides, linoleic acid, di-linoleoyl-mono-gamma-linenyl-glycerol, DLMG, chemical structure

Written by Dr. Reeja Tharu, M.Phil.,Ph.D
Medically Reviewed by The Medindia Medical Review Team on Aug 13, 2014

From the Chemists point of view

GLA is an all cis n-6 long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acid. It is comprised of 18 carbon atoms and three double bonds.

GLA is present in EPO in the form of triglycerides. One such triglyceride in EPO contains two linoleic acid residues and one of GLA. This triglyceride, called di-linoleoyl-mono-gamma-linenyl-glycerol (DLMG), makes up about 18 to 19% of the triglycerides in EPO. GLA is concentrated in the sn-3 position in the triglycerides. GLA is represented by the following chemical structure: