Current approaches to the analysis of bile and the determination of bile acids in various biological matrices as supportive tools to traditional diagnostic testing for liver dysfunction and biliary diseases

Bile acids produced in the liver undergo numerous metabolic changes before being secreted into enterohepatic and systemic circulation. The continuous circulation of these compounds throughout the body, means that they will be present in various biological matrices; therefore, the quantification of these compounds may yield important clinical information that can help improve the diagnostic process for liver and biliary diseases. However, each of these complex matrices has different properties, which necessitates the use of appropriate sample preparation and analytical methods. On the other hand, bile, which is not a routinely used biological material, has been applied in a wide variety of medical and environmental research via both traditional and new and innovative analytical approaches. This review summarizes the wide range of strategies that have been used for the analysis of bile, as well as for the determination of bile acids in various biological matrices. •Current approaches to the analysis of bile fluid are reviewed.•Recent methods for the determination of bile acids in biological matrices are described.•Bile acid determinations in the diagnosis of liver and biliary diseases are summarized.