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World J Gastroenterol. Oct 7, 2026; 32(37): 119558
Published online Oct 7, 2026. doi: 10.3748/wjg.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, 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
Revised: March 10, 2026
Accepted: May 18, 2026
Published online: October 7, 2026
Processing time: 214 Days and 4.6 Hours
Core Tip
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.