Published online Dec 5, 2025. doi: 10.4331/wjbc.v16.i4.111258
Revised: July 15, 2025
Accepted: October 10, 2025
Published online: December 5, 2025
Processing time: 161 Days and 11.3 Hours
Core Tip: Pentadecanoic acid (C15:0) is portrayed as the first essential odd-chain saturated fat that ignites fat-burning through partial peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor α/δ agonism, activates AMP-activated protein kinase while damping mechanistic target of rapamycin, revives complex II via succinate anaplerosis, and uniquely inhibits cancer-linked histone deacetylase 6. It also blocks Janus kinase 2/signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 and nuclear factor kappa B, using the BioMAP® human-primary-cell platform – which tests 12 distinct primary human cell systems such as endothelial cells, fibroblasts, macrophages, and T-cells – C15:0 (17 µM) produced statistically significant changes in 36 mechanistically diverse biomarkers. By eliciting broad, multi-pathway modulation that mirrors the phenotype produced by metformin and rapamycin – yet with no detectable cytotoxicity – C15:0 emerges as a safe, affordable “nutrapharmaceutical” poised to counter metabolic, inflammatory, and age-related diseases.
