Ursodeoxycholic acid exerts hepatoprotective effects by regulating amino acid, flavonoid, and fatty acid metabolic pathways
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Updated: Jan 28, 2026

Bioorthogonal Chemical Imaging of Cell Metabolism Regulated by Aromatic Amino Acids
Published on: May 12, 2023
Da Jung Kim1, Hyewon Chung1,2, Sang Chun Ji1
1Department of Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, Seoul National University College of Medicine and Hospital, 101 Daehak-ro, Jongno-gu, Seoul, 03080, South Korea.
Introduction:
Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) is an intestinal bacterial metabolite with hepatoprotective effects. However, molecular mechanisms underlying its effects remain unclear.
Objectives:
The aim of this study was to investigate the mechanisms underlying the therapeutic effects of UDCA by using global metabolomics analyses in healthy subjects.
Methods:
Healthy Korean men were administered UDCA at dosage of 400, 800, or 1200 mg daily for 2 weeks. Serum samples were collected and used for liver function tests and to determine miR-122 expression levels. Urinary and plasma global metabolomics analyses were conducted using a liquid chromatography system coupled with quadrupole-time-of-flight mass spectrometry (LC/QTOFMS) and gas chromatography-TOFMS (GC/TOFMS). Unsupervised multivariate analysis (principal component analysis) was performed to identify discriminative markers before and after treatment.
Results:
Alanine transaminase score and serum miR-122 levels decreased significantly after 2 weeks of treatment. Through LC- and GC-based metabolomic profiling, we identified 40 differential metabolites in plasma and urine samples.
Conclusions:
Regulation of liver function scores and metabolic alternations highlight the potential hepatoprotective action of UDCA, which were primarily associated with amino acid, flavonoid, and fatty acid metabolism in healthy men.
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