Cholic acid (CA), Chenodeoxycholic acid (CDCA), Deoxycholic acid (DCA), Lithocholic acid (LCA) are the major bile acids related to gut microbiome.
Bile Acids are natural products of cholesterol synthesis that aid in the emulsification and absorption of dietary fats in the small intestine. Elevated total fecal bile acid is indicative of a diagnosis of bile acid malabsorption. Quantification of fecal bile acids aids in diagnosis for IBS and identification of patients with chronic diarrhea who may benefit from bile acid sequestrant therapy. There is a connection between the liver health, fecal bile acid concentrations, and gut microbiota composition. Bile acids have both direct antimicrobial effects on gut microbes and indirect effects through FXR-induced antimicrobial peptides.
Cholic acid (CA) is synthesized in the liver from cholesterol. It undergoes enterohepatic circulation, in which its principal functions include:
- induction of bile flow;
- feedback inhibition of bile acid synthesis;
- modulation of cholesterol synthesis;
- elimination of cholesterol;
- and the facilitation of dispersion and absorption of lipids and fat-soluble vitamins through the formation of micelles.
Cholic acid (CA)
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