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The metabolism of palmitate and erucate has been investigated in hepatocytes isolated from control rats and from rats fed 0.3% clofibrate. Clofibrate increased the oxidation of [1-14C]palmitate 1.5 to 2-fold while the esterification was decreased. At a high concentration of palmitate (1.5 mM), the total rate of fatty acid metabolism was stimulated. Clofibrate stimulated both the oxidation (3.5 to 5-fold) and the esterfication (1.7-fold) of [14-14C]erucate. Erucate undergoes chain-shortening in isolated liver cells. This chain-shortening was stimulated at least 2-fold by clofibrate feedings. The isolated mitochondrial fraction from clofibrate-fed rats showed an increased capacity for oxidation of short-chain acylcarnitines (including acetylcarnitine), while the oxidation of palmitoyl- and erucoylcarnitine showed little change. It is suggested that erucate is shortened by the recently detected beta-oxidation system of peroxisomes.