Rare natural fatty acids: unlocking the potential of petroselinic acid as anti-obesity and antiinflammatory agent

Rare natural fatty acids are frequently found in oil-rich seeds of specific plant families, and they are usually distinguished for their biological potential. Whitin this class, petroselinic acid (PA) is a monounsaturated fatty acid predominant in the seeds (schizocarps) of Apiaceae and has gained notable interest for the numerous biological properties. Among these, its inhibition of the bacterial lipase has been reported. However, its potential as anti-obesity agent still needs in-depth investigation [ 1 ]. In this study, 11 Apiaceae seeds were screened for their PA content, and an innovative UHPLC-MS method was developed for its quantification. Notably, aniseed was found as the richest source of PA (3.97%). Furthermore, a purification procedure was set up, leading to a high purity of PA devoid of its positional isomer oleic acid (recovery of 45%). Thus, the anti-inflammatory and anti-obesity properties of PA were assessed in terms of inhibition of lipoxygenase (LOX) and phospholipase A2 (PLA2), and porcine pancreatic lipase (PPL), respectively. The results revealed a strong inhibition of PPL, with a 90-85% activity reduction at 1000 μg/mL, indicating a comparable efficacy to that of the anti-obesity drug orlistat. Additionally, the inhibition of LOX demonstrated a significant anti-inflammatory effect, with an 85-75% activity reduction at 1000 μg/mL. The prevention of lipid accumulation was evaluated on Caenorhabditis elegans , a widely used in vivo model for the screening and identification of anti-obesity compounds [ 2 ]. This study demonstrated the considerable therapeutic potential of PA as anti-obesity and anti-inflammatory agent encompassed with favorable safety profile. Publication History Article published online: 05 March 2026 © 2026. Thieme. All rights reserved. Georg Thieme Verlag KG Oswald-Hesse-Straße 50, 70469 Stuttgart, Germany