Glycoursodeoxycholic acid

Glycoursodeoxycholic acid (GUDCA) is the glycine-conjugated form of the cytoprotective secondary bile acid ursodeoxycholic acid, contributing to lipid solubilisation and exerting anti-apoptotic and endoplasmic-reticulum-stress-reducing effects in hepatic and intestinal tissue. As a salivary bile acid it reflects enterohepatic circulation and gut-liver axis status, which shift with exercise-associated changes in gut motility and permeability. Wenzel et al. (2026) measured GUDCA among the salivary metabolites tracking recent exercise.