Über eine biologische Bedeutung der Gallenfarbstoffe. Bilirubin und Biliverdin als Antioxydantien für das Vitamin A und die essentiellen Fettsäuren

Rats with a thoracic duct fistula absorb vitamin A and β‐carotene very poorly in the total absence of bile from the intestine. Administration of taurocholic acid improves the degree of absorption but fails to raise it to its normal level. It was demonstrated in vitro that small quantities of bilirubin and biliverdin exert a stabilizing action towards vitamin A. Consequently, it may be assumed that the bile pigments play the same role in vivo, serving as natural antioxidants which protect easily oxidizable substances from destruction in the intestinal tract.