Bile acid is the main lipid component of bile and the metabolite of cholesterol in liver microsomes. Bile acids play an important role in the absorption of fat and fat-soluble vitamins. However, bile acids themselves are also cytotoxic. If the drainage of bile acids is blocked, the accumulation of bile acids in the liver will lead to degeneration and necrosis of liver cells, and even lead to the occurrence of diseases such as liver fibrosis. Therefore, it is of great value to understand the changes of bile acid content in the body for the prevention and treatment of some diseases. Bile acid standard is a high purity bile acid, which plays an important role as an internal standard in the analysis of bile acid. The common bile acid standards include cholic acid, ursodeoxycholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid and others.
Application fields
Prevention and treatment of gallstones: Changes of bile acid metabolism play an important role in the formation mechanism of gallstones. Bile acid molecules contain both hydrophilic groups (hydroxyl, carboxyl or sulfonic acid group) and hydrophobic groups (methyl, heterocyclic ring), which can form complex micelles with phospholipid and cholesterol in bile. However, when the bile acid content changes, the complex micelles will become unstable and gallstones may be formed. Therefore, using bile acid standards to analyze the changes of bile acid types and contents in organisms is of great significance for the prevention and treatment of gallstones.
Primary hyperlipidemia: Studies have shown that the total bile acid content in serum of hyperlipidemia patients is positively correlated with the content of triglyceride and cholesterol, and the bile acid content in many hypertriglyceridemia patients is at a high level. The application of bile acid standards to analyze the distribution of bile acid in plasma of patients with primary hyperlipidemia can provide a strong objective basis for the treatment and diet adjustment of patients.
Study and determination of the structures of new bile acids: The structure of the new bile acid can be confirmed by HPLC with bile acid standards as internal references. For example, the powder bear bile is a kind of precious traditional medicine with many chemical components, and the main active ingredient is bile acid. It has been reported that the structures of three new bile acids in the powder bear bile were determined by using goose deoxycholic acid as internal standard.
Why choose Alfa Chemistry?
Alfa Chemistry is one of the largest providers of bile acid standards in the world and the quality assurance is of prime importance to Alfa Chemistry. The solvent from Alfa Chemistry in the world is synonymous with reliability and excellent quality. Because of the exacting nature of our business and the regulatory demands placed upon our industry, Alfa Chemistry continues to be at the forefront in terms of compliance, accreditations and certifications.