Ko CY. Gut microbiota-fatty acid oxidation interplay in aging: Mechanisms, controversies, and translational perspectives. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(37): 119558 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.119558]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Chih-Yuan Ko, PhD, Affiliate Associate Professor, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No. 34 Zhongshanbei Road, Licheng District, Quanzhou 362000, Fujian Province, China. yuanmomoko@gmail.com
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Biotechnology & Applied Microbiology
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review-article
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Ko CY. Gut microbiota-fatty acid oxidation interplay in aging: Mechanisms, controversies, and translational perspectives. World J Gastroenterol 2026; 32(37): 119558 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.119558]
World J Gastroenterol. Oct 7, 2026; 32(37): 119558 Published online Oct 7, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.119558
Gut microbiota-fatty acid oxidation interplay in aging: Mechanisms, controversies, and translational perspectives
Chih-Yuan Ko
Chih-Yuan Ko, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, Quanzhou 362000, Fujian Province, China
Chih-Yuan Ko, School of Public Health, Fujian Medical University, Fuzhou 350122, Fujian Province, China
Author contributions: Ko CY conceived the review, drafted and revised the manuscript, and approved the final version of the manuscript.
AI contribution statement: ChatGPT was used as an assistive tool during manuscript preparation. The manuscript was conceived, structured, critically interpreted, and finalized by the author. AI was not used to independently generate the scientific content, conceptual framework, or conclusions. AI assistance was limited to language polishing, sentence-level editing, and structural refinement under the author’s direction. No AI tool was used for original data analysis. The author carefully reviewed, revised, and approved all AI-assisted text. The schematic figures were prepared with AI-assisted drafting as original conceptual illustrations. They were not reproduced from previously published copyrighted figures. The author reviewed and revised the figures to ensure consistency with the manuscript content and takes full responsibility for their scientific accuracy and originality. The author takes full responsibility for the accuracy, integrity, originality, and scientific content of the manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The author reports no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Corresponding author: Chih-Yuan Ko, PhD, Affiliate Associate Professor, Research Assistant Professor, Department of Clinical Nutrition, Second Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University, No. 34 Zhongshanbei Road, Licheng District, Quanzhou 362000, Fujian Province, China. yuanmomoko@gmail.com
Received: February 7, 2026 Revised: March 10, 2026 Accepted: May 18, 2026 Published online: October 7, 2026 Processing time: 214 Days and 4.6 Hours
Abstract
Aging is increasingly recognized as a systemic process shaped by metabolic adaptation and gut microbiota remodeling. While microbial dysbiosis has been linked to chronic inflammation and metabolic disorders, the mechanisms connecting microbiota changes to cellular senescence remain incompletely defined. Fatty acid oxidation (FAO), a central pathway in mitochondrial energy metabolism, has emerged as a context-dependent metabolic node linking microbial function to host metabolic decline. Recent studies suggest that age-associated microbiota remodeling is accompanied by enrichment of microbial FAO-related pathways, whereas microbiota-derived metabolites, including short-chain fatty acids and bile acids, may influence host lipid utilization and mitochondrial function. However, the causal directionality of these interactions and their physiological relevance remain uncertain. This opinion review synthesizes current evidence linking gut microbiota remodeling to FAO during aging, examines competing mechanistic interpretations, highlights key controversies, and outlines future directions for mechanistic and translational research.
Core Tip: Gut microbiota remodeling during aging may influence fatty acid oxidation through microbial metabolites and host signaling pathways. This opinion review highlights fatty acid oxidation as a context-dependent metabolic node linking microbiota changes to aging phenotypes, while emphasizing unresolved causality, tissue specificity, and the need for integrated metabolic validation.
