<p>The increasing global population aging has made the prevention and control of aging-related diseases a major public health challenge in the twenty-first century. Nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), as a precursor of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD⁺), has garnered significant attention in recent years for its anti-aging potential. This review comprehensively reviews the metabolic pathways and molecular mechanisms of NMN, comparing the technical characteristics and industrialization prospects of chemical synthesis, microbial fermentation, and enzyme-catalyzed synthesis. The molecular targets and networks of NMN in core aging mechanisms, such as DNA damage repair, mitochondrial function regulation, inflammatory response balance, gut microbiota remodeling, and autophagy pathway activation, are analyzed. The molecular mechanism of NMN in slowing down the aging process through multi-target synergistic effects is elucidated. However, critical issues such as age-stratified dosage modeling, long-term safety, and efficacy of NMN still require in-depth research. This review provides a theoretical basis and research direction for translational research and precise anti-aging strategies of NMN.</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>