Ursodeoxycholic Acid Unit Converter

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is a secondary bile acid that circulates in small amounts in human blood. It is one of the most hydrophilic bile acids and normally makes up only about 1–3% of the total bile acid pool.

Unlike primary bile acids, which are made directly by the liver, UDCA is produced when gut bacteria chemically modify chenodeoxycholic acid through a process called 7β-epimerization.

Measuring serum UDCA as part of a fractionated bile acid panel helps evaluate liver function, monitor cholestatic conditions, and assess patients receiving bile acid therapy. Results are not interpretable in patients taking ursodiol (UDCA) medication.

UDCA is produced by bacteria in the large intestine through 7β-epimerization of the primary bile acid chenodeoxycholic acid. A small amount is also formed in the liver, and the resulting UDCA recirculates through the enterohepatic system.