Reverse Metabolomics: An Answer for Characterizing the Functional Relationship of Bile Acids and the Gut

Bile acids (BA) are synthesized in the liver from cholesterol and utilized by the body through primary taurine and glycine (de)conjugation, while secondary BA salts undergo de-hydroxylation, dehydration, and epimerization of the cholesterol backbone. They have been linked to several well understood and unknown disease states in systems biology. Structural characterization of bile acid derivatives continues to be a challenge in metabolomic studies. Within the past few decades, there have been several advancements in metabolomics studies that have improved current methods of structural elucidation including the use of NMR and tandem mass spectrometry coupled with ion mobility in multidimensional experiments. Here, we explore analytical techniques used to characterize novel BA biomarkers by utilizing innovative strategies known as “reverse metabolomics.”