Ursodeoxycholic acid is white crystal powder,almost insoluble in water,freely soluble in alcohol
Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), also known as ursodiol, is a compound produced from bile by the action of intestinal bacteria. Since this bile acid is not produced directly by the body, it is known as a secondary bile acid.One of the functions of bile acids is to act in the intestine to help digest fats and fatsoluble vitamins from food. Ursodeoxycholic acid has been used in pharmacology to dissolve gallstones made of cholesterol, and to treat liver disorders. It has been used for a long time in both human and veterinary medicine.

Function

1)Ursodeoxycholic acid is an epimer of chenodeoxycholic acid. It is a mammalian bile acid found first in the bear and is apparently either a precursor or a product of chenodeoxycholate. Its administration changes the composition of bile and may dissolve gallstones. It is used as a cholagogue and choleretic.

2) Ursodeoxycholic acid is a synthetically-derived form of ursodiol, a bile acid produced by the liver and secreted and stored in the gallbladder. Also produced by the Chinese black bear liver, ursodiol has been used in the treatment of liver disease for centuries. This agent dissolves or prevents cholesterol gallstones by blocking hepatic cholesterol production and decreasing bile cholesterol. Ursodiol also reduces the absorption of cholesterol from the intestinal tract.