NEFA stands for Non-Esterified Fatty Acids. In biotechnology and related fields, NEFA refers to fatty acids that are not bound to other molecules such as glycerol to form triglycerides or phospholipids. These fatty acids are also known as free fatty acids (FFAs) or unbound fatty acids.
In biological systems, NEFAs play crucial roles as energy sources, signaling molecules, and components of cellular membranes. They are involved in various physiological processes, including metabolism, inflammation, and cell signaling pathways.
In biotech, NEFA analysis is often performed to study lipid metabolism, assess lipid profiles in biological samples, evaluate the impact of dietary interventions or drug treatments on lipid metabolism, and investigate diseases related to lipid dysregulation such as obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Techniques such as gas chromatography (GC), high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), mass spectrometry (MS), and enzymatic assays are commonly used for NEFA analysis in biotechnological research and clinical studies.