Xinyi Fang , Gang Xu

Institute of Life Science, Jiyang College of Zhejiang A&F University, Zhuji, 311800, China
Author    Correspondence author
Journal of Energy Bioscience, 2025, Vol. 16, No. 5   
Received: 27 Jul., 2025    Accepted: 03 Sep., 2025    Published: 17 Sep., 2025

This is an open access article published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.

The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is an important branch in cellular metabolism. It is not only related to energy metabolism but also responsible for biosynthesis. PPP has two parts. Oxidative branches can produce NADPH, which is used to maintain the REDOX balance within cells. It can also support the synthesis of fatty acids and cholesterol, and help cells resist oxidative stress. Non-oxidizing branches provide some raw materials, such as ribo5-phosphoric acid, for the synthesis of nucleotides and amino acids. PPP is closely related to pathways such as glycolysis and the tricarboxylic acid cycle. They will cooperate with each other and adjust at any time to meet the needs of cells in different situations. In recent years, studies have found that PPP is often abnormally regulated in diseases such as tumors and diabetes. Meanwhile, it also has great application value in the field of biotechnology. This article mainly reviews the role of PPP in energy metabolism and biosynthesis, and points out its significant importance in health, disease and bioengineering. Finally, we also put forward a goal: in the future, we will regulate PPP more precisely through systems biology and new technologies. Further in-depth research on the regulatory mechanism of PPP may provide new ideas for disease treatment and industrial production.

Pentose phosphate pathway; Energy metabolism; Biosynthesis; NADPH; REDOX steady state