Description:
3a,6a,7b-Trihydroxy-5b-cholanoic acid is an unusual trihydroxy bile acid found in the urine of healthy humans, mainly in newborns (PMID 3769218). Bile acids are steroid acids found predominantly in the bile of mammals. The distinction between different bile acids is minute, depending only on the presence or absence of hydroxyl groups on positions 3, 6, 7, and 12. Bile acids are physiological detergents that facilitate excretion, absorption, and transport of fats and sterols in the intestine and liver.