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Overview Docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) is a 22-carbon omega-3 fatty acid with 6 double bonds (22:6n-3), the most structurally complex and biologically specialized of the long-chain omega-3 PUFAs. It is the dominant structural fatty acid in the brain (gray matter comprises ~40% DHA) and the retina…
13 May 2026
Overview Medium-chain triglycerides (MCTs) are saturated fats with carbon chain lengths of 6–12 carbons: caproic acid (C6), caprylic acid (C8), capric acid (C10), and lauric acid (C12). Unlike long-chain triglycerides (LCTs), MCTs do not require bile salt emulsification for absorption, bypass…
13 May 2026
Overview Krill oil is extracted from Euphausia superba, a small Antarctic crustacean that occupies a foundational position in the marine food web. Like fish oil, krill oil is rich in EPA and DHA, but it differs fundamentally in how these omega-3s are packaged: approximately 40–65% of krill oil…
13 May 2026
Overview Plant sterols (phytosterols) and their saturated analogs, stanols (phytostanols), are naturally occurring structural components of plant cell membranes that are chemically similar to cholesterol—the key difference being a methyl or ethyl group at carbon-24. They occur naturally in…
13 May 2026
Overview Phosphatidylinositol (PI) is a minor but functionally critical phospholipid found in all eukaryotic cell membranes, constituting approximately 10–15% of total membrane phospholipids. Unlike the structural role of phosphatidylcholine, PI and its phosphorylated derivatives…
13 May 2026
Overview Phosphatidylcholine (PC) is the most abundant phospholipid in mammalian cell membranes, comprising approximately 30–50% of membrane phospholipids depending on cell type. It is the primary transport and storage form of choline in the diet (particularly from eggs, liver, and soy…
13 May 2026
Overview Growth hormone secretagogues (GHS) are a class of compounds that stimulate endogenous growth hormone release from the anterior pituitary, in contrast to exogenous recombinant hGH (rhGH), which bypasses the pituitary entirely. They act through two distinct receptor pathways: GHRH…
13 May 2026
Overview Estradiol (17β-estradiol, E2) is the primary and most potent endogenous estrogen in humans. It is a steroid hormone synthesized predominantly in the ovaries (in premenopausal women), the testes (in small amounts in men), the adrenal glands, adipose tissue, bone, brain, and vascular…
13 May 2026
Overview Cabergoline (Dostinex®) is a long-acting, highly selective dopamine D2 and D3 receptor agonist derived from ergot alkaloids. It is FDA-approved for treatment of hyperprolactinemia — excess prolactin production, which suppresses the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal (HPG) axis, causing…
13 May 2026
Overview Progesterone is a C21 steroid hormone produced primarily by the corpus luteum after ovulation in premenopausal women, by the placenta during pregnancy, and in smaller amounts by the adrenal glands and brain (where it functions as a neurosteroid). In men, progesterone is produced by…
13 May 2026
Overview Human growth hormone (hGH, somatotropin) is a 191-amino acid polypeptide hormone synthesized and secreted by somatotroph cells in the anterior pituitary gland. Secretion is pulsatile — occurring primarily during slow-wave sleep and in response to exercise, hypoglycemia, and fasting …
13 May 2026
Overview Beta-carotene is the most abundant and best-studied provitamin A carotenoid—a 40-carbon symmetrical molecule with two beta-ionone ring end groups that is cleaved by BCMO1 (beta-carotene monooxygenase 1) in intestinal enterocytes to produce retinal and, subsequently, retinol (vitamin…
13 May 2026
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