**Abbreviation list**

CA: Cholic acid CDCA: Chenodeoxycholic acid CHOL: Cholesterol CME: Cholic-methyl-esther DCA: Deoxycholic acid DHCA: Dehydrocholic acid EIA: Enzyme immunoassays ELSD: Evaporative Light Scattering Detector ESI: Electrospray Ionization FAB: Fast Atom Bombardment FLD: Fluorescence Detector GC: Gas Chromatography GCA: Glycocholic acid GCDCA: Glycochenodeoxycholic acid GDCA: Glycodeoxycholic acid HPLC: High Performance Liquid Chromatography HPTLC: High Performance Thin Layer Chromatography LC: Liquid Chromatography LCA: Lithocholic acid MS: Mass Spectrometry ODS: octadecylsilane RIA: Radioimmunoanalysis RID: Refractive Index Detector TCA: Taurocholic acid TCDCA: Taurochenodeoxycholic acid TDCA: Taurodeoxycholic acid TLC: Thin layer Chromatography

TLCA: Taurolithocholic acid UDCA: Ursodeoxycholicacid UV: Ultraviolet
