Deoxycholic acid

Deoxycholic acid, also known as deoxycholate, cholanoic acid, and 3&alpha;,12&alpha;-dihydroxy-5&beta;-cholanate, is a bile acid. When pure, it comes in a white to off-white crystalline powder form. Deoxycholic acid is one of the 4 main acids produced by the liver. It is soluble in alcohol and acetic acid.

Applications
In the human body deoxycholic acid is used in the emulsification of fats for the absorption in the intestine. Outside the body it is used in experimental basis of cholagogues and is also use to prevent and dissolve gallstones.

It is also frequently used in mesotherapy injections, mixed with phosphatidylcholine.

In research it is used as a mild detergent for the isolation of membrane associated proteins.

Deoxycholates and bile acid derivatives in general are actively being studied as structures for incorporation in nanotechnology (Molecules 2001, 6, 21). They also have found application in microlithography as photoresist components (Polym. Mat. Sci. Eng., 1997, 77, 445; Chemistry Letters, 2000, 414).