9Z,11E,13E-Octadecatrienoic Acid (α-ESA) is a conjugated polyunsaturated fatty acid commonly found in plant seed oil. This fatty acid makes up about 60% of the total fatty acid composition of bitter gourd seed oil and about 70% in tung oil. In rats, α-ESA was metabolized and converted to conjugated linoleic acid (9Z,11E-CLA). It has shown potential as a tumor suppressor. In Caco-2 colon cancer cells, α-ESA triggered apoptosis through up-regulation of GADD45, p53, and PPARγ. In DLD-1 cells supplemented with α-ESA, apoptosis was triggered via lipid peroxidation. It also inhibits DNA polymerases and topoisomerases with IC50s ranging from ~5-20 μM for different isoforms of the enzymes.
