Hyocholic acid and glycemic regulation: comments on ‘Hyocholic acid species improve glucose homeostasis through a distinct TGR5 and FXR signaling mechanism’

Hyocholic acid species (HCA, hyodeoxycholic acid, and their glycine and taurine conjugated forms) comprise 80% of the composition of pig bile (Haslewood, 1956). An interesting fact about pigs is that they do not get diabetes even though they eat almost anything and in abundant amounts, a diabetes-promoting diet. The first use of pig bile for treatment of ‘xiao-ke’, a condition known today as diabetes, was recorded ∼400 years ago by the Chinese...