Conjugated bile salt

Conjugated bile salts are small amphipathic molecules formed in the liver by the covalent linkage of a primary bile acid (such as cholic acid or chenodeoxycholic acid) with either glycine or taurine at the carboxyl group. This conjugation increases water solubility and prevents precipitation at physiological and lower pH, allowing the molecules to serve as effective natural detergents in the small intestine. They play a critical role in digestion and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins by forming mixed micelles, and they are the main mechanism for eliminating excess cholesterol from the body. Conjugated bile salts also have roles as ligands for certain nuclear hormone receptors (such as FXR, TGR5), but the salts themselves are not direct protein targets. Alterations in their levels or metabolism are associated with liver and gastrointestinal diseases, and pharmacological manipulation of bile salt pools is the basis for some drugs treating dyslipidemia and cholestasis.

Other names

Bile saltconjugated bile acidtaurocholateglycocholatetaurochenodeoxycholateglycochenodeoxycholate

Sequestrants bind bile salts to reduce reabsorption and lower cholesterol Bile acid analogs replace toxic/endogenous bile acids in cholestasis