The microbial enzyme bilirubin reductase is responsible for urine’s yellow color, according to a recent study. The University of Maryland and National Institutes of Health study sheds light on the gut microbiome’s function in jaundice and inflammatory bowel disease.
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Enzyme Unveiled: Bilirubin Reductase Identified as Key Player in Making Urine Yellow
More than 125 years ago, urobilin, the yellow pigment in urine, was found, but its enzyme was unknown. The study found that bilirubin reductase is an important enzyme, contrary to previous views. Lead author Brantley Hall was excited to solve this everyday biological occurrence that has perplexed scientists for years.
Red blood cells color urine, which is water, electrolytes, and waste filtered by the kidneys. Bilirubin, an orange pigment, is created when red blood cells break down.
The gut microbes encode bilirubin reductase, which converts bilirubin into urobilinogen, a colorless byproduct. This chemical breaks down into urobilin, which makes urine yellow.
Bilirubin Reductase: Shedding Light on Urine Color and Its Impact on Health
The research illuminates health issues beyond the bathroom mystery. Bilirubin reabsorbed into the gut and accumulating in the blood can cause jaundice, which yellows the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. The study discovered that neonates and people with inflammatory bowel disease lack bilirubin reductase, which enzyme present in most healthy adults. Its absence may cause neonatal jaundice and pigmented gallstones.
Xiaofang Jiang, study co-author, stressed that the enzyme’s identification allows researchers to study how gut bacteria affect circulating bilirubin and related health issues like jaundice. This discovery helps explain the gut-liver axis.
The study clarifies urine color and sheds light on bilirubin reductase’s role in bilirubin metabolism-related diseases. The new knowledge may enable additional investigation into gut microorganisms and bilirubin-related health effects.
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