Abstract: An application of omega-3 and/or omega-6 fatty acid(s) for the therapeutic treatment of the human or animal body in the case of an impaired sphingolipid metabolism, in particular in the case of impaired sphingolipid synthesis and/or excessive sphingolipid degradation. The agent is applied in the case of missing, reduced and/or defective formation of a sphingomyelin synthase enzyme in the body, in particular the enzyme sphingomyelin synthase 1 or the enzyme sphingomyelin synthase 2. The application has proved to be useful in the case of a defect of the sphingomyelin synthase 1 gene or of the sphingomyelin synthase 2 gene. The omega-3 and/or omega-6 fatty acid(s) preferably comprise(s) polyunsaturated omega-3 and/or omega-6 fatty acid(s), preferably EPA, DHA, DPA, ETA, 21:5n3 and/or SDA. A method for determining a cause of a disease in an animal or a human being and a device for carrying out the method are also provided.

Abstract: A process for obtaining free fatty acid and/or free fatty acid ester, including separating a liquid mixture containing the free fatty acid and/or the fatty acid ester by contacting a vapor of the liquid mixture in a column of a distillation apparatus with condensate formed from the vapor running downward. Heat and mass transfer takes place between the vapor and the condensate on column internals. The column has at least 10 theoretical plates and the separation is conducted with a pressure drop between the top and bottom of the column of ?p of ?3.3 mbars. Appropriately, the liquid mixture, contains polyunsaturated fatty acid, preferably omega-6 or omega-3 fatty acid and/or alkyl monoesters and/or glycerol monoesters. In one embodiment the column has at least 30 theoretical plates and the separation is conducted with a pressure drop ?p between 3.5 mbar and 6 mbar.

Abstract: Method for improving the performance of a preparative batchwise Super Critical Fluid Chromatographic separation for the recovery of a target fatty acid or derivative thereof, or of a group of target fatty acids or of derivatives thereof from a mixture, characterized in that the said Super Critical Fluid Chromatographic separation employs a chromatographic column charged with a stationary phase chosen from the group consisting of aluminium oxide or aluminium oxides, titanium oxide or titanium oxides, silica gel or silica gels, amino propyl modified silica gels, diol modified silica gels, phenyl modified silica gels and “reversed phase” phases, the former in turn chosen from the group consisting of RP18, RP8 and RP3, and in that the said Super Critical Fluid Chromatographic Separation further employs a mobile phase chosen from the group consisting of ethylene, propane, ammonia, dinitrogen dioxide and CO2, wherein in the said method, during the run of the said mixture on the chromatographic column, a pressure an

Abstract: Method for improving the performance of a preparative batchwise Super Critical Fluid Chromatographic separation for the recovery of a target fatty acid or derivative thereof, or of a group of target fatty acids or of derivatives thereof from a mixture, characterized in that the said Super Critical Fluid Chromatographic separation employs a chromatographic column charged with a stationary phase chosen from the group consisting of aluminium oxide or aluminium oxides, titanium oxide or titanium oxides, silica gel or silica gels, amino propyl modified silica gels, diol modified silica gels, phenyl modified silica gels and “reversed phase” phases, the former in turn chosen from the group consisting of RP 18, RP8 and RP3, and in that the said Super Critical Fluid Chromatographic Separation further employs a mobile phase chosen from the group consisting of ethylene, propane, ammonia, dinitrogen dioxide and CO2, wherein in the said method, during the run of the said mixture on the chromatographic column, a pressure a

Abstract: The invention relates to the use of omega-3-fatty acid(s) in means for pain relief. The means preferably comprise highly unsaturated omega-3-fatty acid(s) that contain, above all, EPA and/or DHA. Preferably, the omega-3-fatty acid is administered in a high dose of more than 2 g, in particular more than 3 to 4 g, for pain relief.