Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) has been shown to exert several biological activities in different organs, in particular organs such as adipose and mammary tissue where CLA accumulates preferentially because of its high incorporation into neutral lipids. However, despite numerous studies carried out in different experimental models, both in vivo and in vitro, very little is known about the accumulation and metabolism of CLA in the brain. In this communication we present data showing that the two CLA isomers c9,t11 and t10,c12 are actively incorporated and metabolised in rat brain, and in cultures of astrocytes in vitro with patterns remarkably similar to those previously reported to occur in other tissues and cells. However, beta oxidation of CLA was found to be more efficient in brain than in other tissues, with t10,c12 a better substrate than the c9,t11 isomer. CLA incorporation and metabolism have been linked to antiinflammatory and antiproliferative activities in experimental models. Therefore, CLA activity in brain could have a positive impact on neurological disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and adrenoleukodystrophy, where an observed increase in inflammatory responses seems to contribute heavily to the pathogenesis.