Skip to main content
An official website of the United States government
Government Funding Lapse
Because of a lapse in government funding, the information on this website may not be up to date, transactions submitted via the website may not be processed, and the agency may not be able to respond to inquiries until appropriations are enacted.

The NIH Clinical Center (the research hospital of NIH) is open. For more details about its operating status, please visit cc.nih.gov.

Updates regarding government operating status and resumption of normal operations can be found at opm.gov.

fish oil/glycerol/egg lecithin-based emulsion

An injectable, nutritional lipid emulsion composed of 10% fish oil and high amounts of the fish oil-derived polyunsaturated omega-3 fatty acids eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Additionally, the fish oil/glycerol/egg lecithin-based emulsion contains myristic acid, palmitic acid, palmitoleic acid, stearic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, octadecatetraenoic acid, eicosaenoic acid, arachidonic acid, docosaenoic acid, and docosapentaenoic acid. This agent supplies essential fatty acids that can be incorporated into cell membranes. The fatty acids may decrease the production of certain pro-inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin 1 (IL-1), IL-6 and tumor necrosis factor (TNF). In addition to fish oil, this lipid emulsion contains egg phospholipids to maintain membrane integrity; glycerol to provide energy through glycolysis; and the antioxidant alpha-tocopherol (vitamin E).
Synonym:omega-3 fatty acid infusion
Foreign brand name:Omegaven
Search NCI's Drug Dictionary