Ruminants: Bile Acids and Nutritional Metabolism in the Organism
Bile acids are the primary components of bile. As a feed additive, bile acids also exhibit significant potential in improving the production performance and metabolic health of ruminants.
They promote the digestion and absorption of dietary lipids and fat-soluble vitamins in ruminants by forming micelles, thereby enhancing milk fat composition. Additionally, bile acids reduce inflammatory responses by modulating inflammatory mediators such as IL-1β and TNF-α.
Research by Lin et al. found that the proportion of microorganisms involved in bile acid transformation in the intestinal microbiota of dairy cows is relatively low, leading to an enrichment of host-derived conjugated bile acids in the duodenum and jejunum, while microbially derived unconjugated bile acids dominate in the large intestine.
Another study discovered that dietary supplementation of ursodeoxycholic acid increases marbling in beef, better expressing the premium characteristics of Wagyu beef.
Chen Yue et al. found that bile acids upregulate the relative expression of anti-inflammatory factors (IFN-γ and IfnGR1 mRNA) in the intestinal mucosa of goats with subacute ruminal acidosis, improving intestinal microbiota dysbiosis and mucosal damage.
Furthermore, adding bile acids to the diet of periparturient dairy cows can reduce blood glucose and triglyceride concentrations, modulate the expression of hepatic lipid synthesis genes, alter the structure and function of fecal microbiota, and subsequently enhance immune and antioxidant capacities while maintaining lipid metabolic homeostasis.
Additionally, as a key intermediate regulator in the body, bile acids act as signaling molecules to finely regulate inter-tissue communication in the liver, influencing the metabolic patterns of bile acids in the body. This includes altering physiological processes such as bile acid synthesis, transport, and absorption by the gut microbiota, thereby further improving metabolic health.
Bile acids also play a crucial role in enhancing the growth and development of young ruminants. They can increase lamb meat yield, reduce subcutaneous and tail fat deposition, and significantly improve lamb production performance.
Research by Lai Zheng found that high-energy diets significantly increased the abundance and quantity of bile acid metabolism-related microorganisms in the ileum of dairy cows, promoting bile acid metabolism.
Source: Dong Youhan. Response Characteristics and Mechanisms of Bile Acid Metabolism in Yaks to Energy Intake Levels [D]. Lanzhou University, 2025. DOI: 10.27204/d.cnki.glzhu.2025.000992.
