eicosapentaenoic acid

English

A ball-and-stick model of eicosapentaenoic acid, ${\ce {CH3-(CH2-(CH=CH))5-(CH2)3-COOH}}$.

Etymology

From eicosa- +‎ penta- +‎ -noic acid. The eicosa- prefix refers to the 20 carbon atoms. The penta- prefix refers to the five double bonds. The -(e)noic suffix generically denotes fatty acids.

Noun

eicosapentaenoic acid (uncountable)

1. (organic chemistry) An omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA), having 20 carbon atoms and 5 cis double bonds, that acts as a precursor for prostaglandin-3, thromboxane-3, and leukotriene-5 eicosanoids

   Synonyms: (initialism) EPA, icosapentaenoic acid, timnodonic acid, (physiological literature) 20:5(n-3)

Coordinate terms

• eicosapentaenoate (coordinate as a base versus an acid, but synonymous in the practical sense that the conjugate base and conjugate acid coexist in solution)

Translations

fatty acid

• Finnish: eikosapentaeenihappo
• Italian: acido eicosapentaenoico m