Role of Bile acids in lipid metabolism and their use as feed additives

Bile acids (BAs) are amphiphilic sterol compounds that contain hydroxyl or carboxyl groups and alkyl groups, which are mainly synthesized from cholesterol by the liver. The bile acids (BAs) and their derivatives exert a variety of metabolic effects through complex and intertwined pathways, thus becoming the attractive target for metabolic syndrome treatment.To modulate the lipid homeostasis, the role of BAs, turn out to be paramount as it is essential for the absorption, transport of dietary lipids,regulation of metabolic enzymes and transporters that are essential for lipid modulation, flux, and excretion. Recently, the application of BAs as a dietary emulsifier on livestock production has raised increasing attention. Dietary supplementation with BAs is known to enhance growth performance, as well as improve lipid metabolism status by regulating the hepatic lipid metabolism-related gene expression and enzyme activities in animals