Linoleic acid (LA) is an essential omega-6 fatty acid (FA) which is important in the normal functioning of the body. The consumption of LA is increasing worldwide, with elevated LA exhibiting pro-inflammatory and pro-oxidative properties. Adequate concentrations of LA are critical for fetal development and must be obtained from the maternal diet, however excess maternal LA may have detrimental effect on offspring health. FAs are transported from mother to fetus through the placenta via fatty acid transporters; however, the specific fatty acid transport proteins (FATPs) and fatty acid binding proteins (FABPs) responsible for this transport are unknown. We hypothesised that exposure of trophoblasts to high LA may change expression of specific FATPs and FABPs, which may affect inflammatory responses and mitochondrial activity. In our present study, 300 and 500 μM of LA increased FATP1 and FATP4 mRNA expressions in Swan71 trophoblasts. 500 μM of LA elevated FABP5, while 100, 300 and 500 μM of LA decreased FABP3 expression. There was no changes in mRNA expression of IL-6, however, 300 and 500 μM of LA decreased IL-6 secretion in cell supernatant. 500 μM of LA increased mRNA expression of IL-8, while 300 μM of LA decreased its protein expression. Further, 100, 300 and 500 μM of LA increased prostaglandin E2 and leukotrienes B4 secretion. Moreover, 300 and 500 μM of LA increased hydrogen peroxide production suggesting elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation. In conclusion, high LA altered the expression of FA transport related proteins, inflammatory responses and increased ROS generation in human trophoblasts. While these trophoblast adaptations to LA may act to limit transport of LA to the fetus, these results indicate that they may also induce placental dysfunction. Thus, these findings suggest the importance of consuming adequate amount of LA during pregnancy and warrant further experimental animal and human studies.