Physical properties of bile

Physical properties of bile

Bile from hepatic duct is a viscid, greenish or greenish yellow with golden tinge liquid with a bitter taste. the compositions varies upon whether the bile is obtained from gall bladder or from the ducts of the liver. 

• The constituents of the bile are
  1. Bile pigments
  2. Bile acids or salts of bile acids
  3. Cholesterol
  4. Lecithin
  5. Mucin and alike substances
  6. Fat, soap, urea
  7. Inorganic substances like Na, K, Ca, Cl and HCO₃

Composition of bile

	Hepatic bile	Gall bladder bile
Water	97.5 gm%	92   gm %
Bile salts	1.1 gm%	6    gm %
Bilirubin	0.04 gm%	0.3 gm %
Cholesterol	0.1 gm%	0.3  – 0.9 gm %
Fatty acids	0.12 gm%	0.3 – 1.2 gm %
Lecithin	0.04 gm%	0.3 gm %
Na+	145 mEq /1	130 mEq/1
K+	5 mEq/1	12 mEq/1
Ca+	5 mEq /1	23 mEq/1
CI	100 mEq/1	25 mEq/1
HCO3	28  mEq/1	10 mEq/1
pH	7.1-7.3	6.9 – 7.7

Amount of bile secreted  in different species

Horse	250-300 ml/hour
Ox	98-111 ml/hour
Sheep	7-154 ml/hour
Pig	70-140 ml/hour
Dog	7-14 ml /hour
Man (Adult)	300-1200 ml/hour

•  The volume of bile secretion depends on many factors
  1. Blood flow to the liver,
  2. Digestive state of the animal
  3. Composition of food.

Methods of  bile collection

1. Bile can be obtained by gall bladder fistula from gall bladder.
2. Direct connection of the common bile duct also helps in getting the bile from animals.