Fatty acid
In chemistry, particularly in biochemistry, a fatty acid is a carboxylic acid with a long aliphatic chain, which is either saturated or unsaturated. Most naturally occurring fatty acids have an unbranched chain of an even number of carbon atoms, from 4 to 28. Fatty acids are usually not found in organisms, but instead as three main classes of esters: triglycerides, phospholipids, and cholesterol esters. In any of these forms, fatty acids are both important dietary sources of fuel for animals and they are important structural components for cells.
Cat food
Fatty acids are an important part of the cats diet, some are more important than others with respect to the cats diet and these are known as essential fatty acids. Essential fatty acids are nutrients that cats are unable to produce at all or in sufficient amounts to reach their needs. There are 3 essential fatty acids that should be included in a cats diets and they are: Alpha-Linolenic acid, Linoleic acid, and Arachidonic acid. Alpha-Linolenic acid is an Omega–3 fatty acid that is important to cats as it aids in the maintenance of their skin's water barrier. As the water barrier is important to the cats skin, ingredients that are high in Alpha-Linolenic acid, such as flaxseed, should be included in the cats diet. Another source of Omega-3 s are in fish oil however, it is higher in Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) which can be important for cats as they have anti-inflammatory properties. Linoleic acid is an example of an Omega-6 fatty acid that also helps with the health of the cat's skin by maintaining the integrity of their epithelial tissues. Linoleic acid is commonly found in plant-based oils, an ingredient that is commonly used as a source of Linoleic acid is sunflower oil. Arachidonic acid is also essential to cats because they are unable to create it from linoleic acid due to an absence of the Delta 6 desaturase enzyme. It's important for their skin for the same reason as Linoleic acid and can be found in ingredients such as animal fat.