Taurodeoxycholic Acid Unit Converter

Taurodeoxycholic acid (TDCA) is a bile salt formed in the liver by conjugation of deoxycholic acid with the amino acid taurine. It belongs to the family of conjugated secondary bile acids.

Deoxycholic acid itself is a secondary bile acid, meaning it is not made directly by the liver. Instead, intestinal bacteria convert the primary bile acid cholic acid into deoxycholic acid through a process called 7α-dehydroxylation. Deoxycholic acid is then reabsorbed into the bloodstream, returned to the liver, and conjugated with taurine to form TDCA.

TDCA is one of approximately 20 individual bile acid species measured in a serum bile acid profile. Because conjugated bile acids like TDCA are cleared efficiently by a healthy liver, even modest elevations can be an early signal of impaired liver function or bile flow.

Intestinal bacteria convert the primary bile acid cholic acid into deoxycholic acid via 7α-dehydroxylation. Deoxycholic acid is reabsorbed through the gut, returned to the liver, and conjugated with the amino acid taurine to produce taurodeoxycholic acid.