Nervonic acid is a monounsaturated very long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) that is mainly found in animal brain white matter and is found in higher levels in human liver and kidney. Nervonic acid contributes to metabolic health, regulates the immune system, and has anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, recent studies have shown that a diet supplemented with nervonic acid not only has a positive impact on overall human health, but also has the potential to improve a variety of medical conditions, including neurological diseases, cancer, diabetes, obesity, and related complications. There is evidence that nervonic acid is involved in cognitive improvement processes.

Nervonic acid deficiency

Nervonic acid is one of the most important fatty acids in sphingomyelin and is essential for maintaining the normal function of nerve fibers and nerve cells. Multiple studies have shown that individuals with neurodegeneration have nervonic acid deficiencies, and nervonic acid supplements as a nutritional supplement are believed to improve brain development and cognition and have been widely used to prevent and treat brain and nervous system-related diseases. Low nervonic acid levels may also indicate potential problems with nerve cell function and myelin integrity, and deficiency can trigger a range of neurological diseases or neurological dysfunctions (such as psychosis, schizophrenia, or attention deficit disorder, etc.). As a natural component of breast milk, it can also promote infant growth by helping the development of the infant's nervous system. In addition, nervonic acid also acts as a non-competitive inhibitor of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcriptase (HIV-1 RT) in a dose-dependent manner.

Secondly, nervonic acid deficiency also easily leads to the occurrence and development of inflammation. Nervonic acid has been shown to improve colonic inflammation in a mouse colitis model. In a colitis mouse model, oral nervonic acid exhibited anti-inflammatory properties by inhibiting NF-κB-mediated signaling and restoring intestinal barrier function. In addition, in colitis mice, nervonic acid-dependent epithelial damage and reduction in proinflammatory cytokine production were comparable to eicosapentaenoic acid and dexamethasone. Fecal nervonic acid levels have the potential to serve as specific biomarkers for the diagnosis and disease monitoring of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Side effects of excessive neuraminic acid

Neuraminic acid is a typical metabolite of decreased fertility associated with metabolic syndrome, and its elevated levels may trigger ovarian inflammation and lead to ovarian dysfunction. It has been reported that individuals with polycystic ovary syndrome, obesity, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, or gestational diabetes show high levels of serum neuraminic acid. Secondly, it is also a potential biomarker for attention in the elderly. Studies have found that higher plasma neuraminic acid levels are significantly associated with lower attention scores in community-living elderly people. Therefore, appropriate supplementation of neuraminic acid is beneficial to human health, but care should also be taken not to use it excessively to prevent the accumulation of neuraminic acid and the occurrence of its related complications.

References:

[1] SONG W, ZHANG K, XUE T, et al. Cognitive improvement effect of nervonic acid and essential fatty acids on rats ingesting Acer truncatum Bunge seed oil revealed by lipidomics approach?[J]. Food & Function, 2022, 5: 2475-2490. DOI:10.1039/D1FO03671H.

[2] CLAUDIA KUNST. Fecal Nervonic Acid as a Biomarker for Diagnosing and Monitoring Inflammatory Bowel Disease.[J]. Biomedicines, 2024, 12 12. DOI:10.3390/biomedicines12122764.