Fatty acid ethanolamide

Table of Contents

Introduction

FAEs is a family of lipid mediators that are found in most mammalian tissue where they have diverse functions [1]:

  • anandamide: endogenous cannabinoid
  • OEA, oleoylethanolamide: Satiety factor.
  • PEA, palmitoylethanolamide: Analgesic and anti-inflammatory.

Degradation depends on if the FAE is polyinsaturated/monosaturated. Polyinsaturated FAEs (like anandamide) must be degradated by a two step process:

  • Transport into the cells
  • Intracellular degradation by FAAH

Monosaturated FAEs (like OEA and PEA) inactivation is mediated by intracellular hydrolisis by FAAH or another yet uncharacterized FAE amidase.

[1]
D. Fegley et al., “Characterization of the fatty acid amide hydrolase inhibitor cyclohexyl carbamic acid 3′-carbamoyl-biphenyl-3-yl ester (URB597): Effects on anandamide and oleoylethanolamide deactivation,” The journal of pharmacology and experimental therapeutics, vol. 313, no. 1, pp. 352–358, Apr. 2005, doi: 10.1124/jpet.104.078980. Available: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022356524319238. [Accessed: Nov. 11, 2025]