Sigma-Aldrich launches reference materials for bile acid research

Sigma-Aldrich has announced the launch of its new bile acid reference standards product line, offering ten certified Snap-N-Spike solutions of the most routinely tested bile acids and their stable-labeled internal standards.

The products are offered under the company's Cerilliant brand and are designed for use in mass spectrometry-based analyses of bile acids, performed in neonatal screening of inborn errors of bile acid synthesis and therapeutic monitoring of patient responses to therapy.

These new solution-certified reference materials consist of lithocholic acid, taurocholic acid and native and deuterium-labeled analogs of cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, deoxycholic acid, and ursodeoxycholic acid.

A growing focus on research highlighting the influence of bile acid metabolism in the development of gastroenterologic and hepatic diseases has led to the need for new testing applications to be developed.

Emerging applications for bile acid include using them as biomarkers for the detection of biliary tract cancer, as well as for the metabolic profiling of patients with gastrointestinal disorders, and identifying additional biomarkers for liver diseases.

Cerilliant is a subsidiary of Sigma-Aldrich that has been providing certified reference materials for over 35 years.