Hyodeoxycholic acid is a secondary bile acid, one of the metabolic byproducts of intestinal bacteria. It differs from deoxycholic acid in that the 6α-hydroxyl is in the 12 position in the former. The 6α-hydroxyl group makes HDCA a hydrophilic acid, a property it shares with hyocholic acid. HDCA is present in mammalian species in different proportions. It is the main acid constituent of hog bile, and for this reason it was used industrially as precursor for steroid synthesis before total synthesis became practical. In rat intestinal microflora hyodeoxycholic acid is produced by a Gram-positive rod—termed HDCA-1—from several isomers of hyocholic acid and muricholic acid. In pigs with a normal gastrointestinal flora the majority of hyodeoxycholic acid found in bile is of secondary nature, but a small amount was also found in germ free pigs, which supports the hypothesis that HDCA may be a primary bile acid in this species.
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