What is "cholic acid"

Cholic \Chol"ic\, Cholinic \Cho*lin"ic\, a. [Gr. ?, from ? bile.] (Physiol. Chem.) Pertaining to, or obtained from, the bile.

Cholic acid (Chem.), a complex organic acid found as a natural constituent of taurocholic and glycocholic acids in the bile, and extracted as a resinous substance, convertible under the influence of ether into white crystals.

n. (context biochemistry English) a steroidal bile acid, C₂₄H₄₀O₅, derived from cholesterol

n. an insoluble crystalline acid present in bile

Cholic acid, also known as 3α,7α,12α-trihydroxy-5β-cholan-24-oic acid is a primary bile acid that is insoluble in water (soluble in alcohol and acetic acid), it is a white crystalline substance. Salts of cholic acid are called cholates. Cholic acid, along with chenodeoxycholic acid, is one of the two major bile acids produced by the liver, where it is synthesized from cholesterol. These two major bile acids are roughly equal in concentration in humans. Derivatives are made from cholyl-CoA, which exchanges its CoA with either glycine, or taurine, yielding glycocholic and taurocholic acid, respectively.

Cholic acid downregulates cholesterol-7-α-hydroxylase (rate-limiting step in bile acid synthesis), and cholesterol does the opposite. This is why chenodeoxycholic acid, and not cholic acid, can be used to treat gallstones (because decreasing bile acid synthesis would supersaturate the stones even more).

Cholic acid and chenodeoxycholic acid are the most important human bile acids. Other species may synthesize different bile acids as their predominant primary bile acids.

Cholic acid, formulated as Cholbam capsules, is approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration as a treatment for children and adults with bile acid synthesis disorders due to single enzyme defects, and for peroxisomal disorders (such as Zellweger syndrome).