title: Bile salts of the green turtle Chelonia mydas (L.)
abstract: 1. Bile salts of the green turtle Chelonia mydas (L.) were analysed as completely as possible. 2. They consist of taurine conjugates of 3 alpha, 7 alpha, 12 alpha, 22 xi-tetrahydroxy-5 beta-cholestan-26-oic acid (tetrahydroxysterocholanic acid) and 3 alpha 12 alpha, 22 xi-trihydroxy-5 beta-cholestan-26-oic acid, with minor amounts of 3 alpha, 7 alpha, 12 alpha-trihydroxy-5beta-cholan-24-oic acid (cholic acid), 3alpha, 12 alpha-dihydroxy-5beta-cholan-24-oic acid (deoxycholic acid) and possibly other bile acids. 3. Cholic acid and deoxycholic acid represent the first known examples of bile acids common to chelonians and other animal forms: they may indicate independent evolution in chelonians to C24 bile acids. 4. The discovery of a 7-deoxy C27 bile acid is the first evidence that C27 bile acids or their conjugates have an enterohepatic circulation.
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001647:Bile Acids and Salts / Q000032:analysis*; D014426:Turtles / Q000378:metabolism*
chemical_list: D001647:Bile Acids and Salts