A simplified procedure for the analysis of cholesterol, phospholipids and bile salts in human bile.

Cholesterol, total bile salts and phospholipids have been measured on alcoholic extracts from human bile-rich duodenal contents. Folch extraction before phospholipid assay was found to be unnecessary and, unless fresh samples are used, it is liable to give misleadingly low values. Removal of bile pigment before measuring cholesterol was unnecessary because this estimation was done by gas-liquid chromatography. The methods described provide a simple, reproducible analysis of bile lipids.