Fatty acid oxidation is also known as beta-oxidation. Fatty acids are an important energy source because they are anhydrous and can be reduced. Fatty acids are good sources of energy as they yield more energy than carbohydrates. The fatty acid oxidation pathway degrades fatty acids into acetyl-CoA under anaerobic and aerobic conditions. Enzymes of this pathway can process short and long chain fatty acids. The first step in the pathway is the conversion of acyl-CoA to enoyl-CoA. The pathway continues in a cycle, each turn removing two carbon atoms from the input acyl-CoA to produce acetyl-CoA. Each turn also produces NADH.

Fatty Acid Oxidation (Hexanoate) References