Fatty Acid Modulation of the Endocannabinoid System and the Effect on Food Intake and Metabolism

Endocannabinoids and their G-protein coupled receptors (GPCR) are a current research focus in the area of obesity due to the
system’s role in food intake and glucose and lipid metabolism. Importantly, overweight and obese individuals often have higher
circulating levels of the arachidonic acid-derived endocannabinoids anandamide (AEA) and 2-arachidonoyl glycerol (2-AG) and an
altered pattern of receptor expression. Consequently, this leads to an increase in orexigenic stimuli, changes in fatty acid synthesis,
insulin sensitivity, and glucose utilisation, with preferential energy storage in adipose tissue. As endocannabinoids are products
of dietary fats, modification of dietary intake may modulate their levels, with eicosapentaenoic and docosahexaenoic acid based
endocannabinoids being able to displace arachidonic acid from cell membranes, reducing AEA and 2-AG production. Similarly,
oleoyl ethanolamide, a product of oleic acid, induces satiety, decreases circulating fatty acid concentrations, increases the capacity
for -oxidation, and is capable of inhibiting the action of AEA and 2-AG in adipose tissue. Thus, understanding how dietary fats
alter endocannabinoid system activity is a pertinent area of research due to public health messages promoting a shift towards plantderived fats, which are rich sources of AEA and 2-AG precursor fatty acids, possibly encouraging excessive energy intake and weight
gain