Unique hunting strategies of the dragonflies and exceptionally high level of eicosapentaenoic acid in brain lipids: Is there a connection?

Abstract

Docosahexaenoic acid (C22:6ω3) and, to a much lesser extent, eicosapentaenoic acid (C20:5ω3) are the main polyunsaturated long-chain omega-3 fatty acids in mammalian brain phospholipids. A huge number of studies conducted in recent years indicate the important role of omega-3 fatty acids in the regulation of behavior, memory, mental and cognitive development in humans and animals. It has been shown that docosahexaenoic and eicosapentaenoic fatty acids are necessary for the processes of neuro- and synaptogenesis, the formation of new neural networks, stimulation of the production of neurotrophic factors, neuronal and synaptic plasticity. A deficiency of omega- 3 acids leads to a decrease in spatial memory, cognitive development, learning ability, visual impairment, and psychomotor functions. In the context of modern concepts on the role of omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids in cognitive processes, in this paper the author discusses his own previously published data on a sharp increase in the amount of eicosapentaenoic acid C20:5ω3 in various brain phospholipids of the dragonfly Aeschna grandis L. adult compared to the larvae, linking this phenomenon with a significant complication of the behavior of adult forms, the development of highly effective strategies for pursuing prey and processing visual information.