Odd-chain fatty acids (OCFAs) naturally occur in bacteria, higher animals, and in plants. During recent years, they have received increasing attention due to their unique pharmacological properties and usefulness for agricultural and industrial applications. Recently, OCFAs have been identified and quantified in a few organisms, and new pharmacological functions of OCFAs have been reported. Some of the publications are related to the optimization of OCFA production through fermentation and genetic engineering. The present review aims to provide a summary on the recent progress in the field of microbial-derived OCFAs. More specifically, we outline the publications of OCFAs related to (i) different sources of OCFAs; (ii) endogenous synthesis of OCFAs; (iii) production of OCFAs through fermentation; (iv) genetic engineering related to OCFA; and (v) role of OCFAs in human health and disease. Finally, some areas that require further research are discussed.

中文翻译：

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功能性奇数链脂肪酸的微生物合成：综述

奇链脂肪酸 (OCFA) 天然存在于细菌、高等动物和植物中。近年来，由于其独特的药理特性和在农业和工业应用中的有用性，它们受到越来越多的关注。最近，OCFAs 已经在一些生物体中被鉴定和量化，并且已经报道了 OCFAs 的新药理功能。一些出版物与通过发酵和基因工程优化 OCFA 生产有关。本综述旨在总结微生物来源的 OCFAs 领域的最新进展。更具体地说，我们概述了与 (i) 不同来源的 OCFA 相关的 OCFA 出版物；(ii) OCFA 的内源性合成；(iii) 通过发酵生产 OCFA；(iv) 与 OCFA 相关的基因工程；(v) OCFAs 在人类健康和疾病中的作用。最后，讨论了一些需要进一步研究的领域。