A
family of steroids comprising the
bile acids (or salts), usually in
conjugated form (e.g.,
glycocholic and
taurocholic acids). Chemically,
cholic acids are cholan-24-oic (cholanic) acids (the
terminal C24 of
cholane becoming a -COOH group); biologically,
cholic acids are derived from
cholesterol (a
cholestane derivative) and
display varying degrees of
oxidation (OH groups) and
orientation at positions 3, 7, and 12. It is these oxidations and orientations that
distinguish the different
cholic acid; e.g.,
cholic acid is 3a,7a,12a-trihydroxy-5b-cholan-24-oic acid, deoxycholic
acid is 3a,12a-dihydroxy-5b-cholanic acid.
Synonym: cholalic acid, cholanic acid.