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Review
. 2025 Jul;31(7):591-594.
doi: 10.1016/j.molmed.2024.12.007. Epub 2025 Jan 4.

Gut microbiota and bilirubin metabolism: unveiling new pathways in health and disease

Libor Vítek  1 , Claudio Tiribelli  2
Affiliations
Review

Gut microbiota and bilirubin metabolism: unveiling new pathways in health and disease

Libor Vítek et al. Trends Mol Med. 2025 Jul.

Abstract

Bilirubin reductase (BilR), a gut microbiota-derived enzyme that reduces bilirubin to urobilinogen, was recently identified. Given the role of bilirubin in preventing modern diseases, understanding the link between the gut microbiota and health via modulation of bilirubin metabolism marks a major advance in medical research and potential treatments.

Keywords: bilirubin; gut microbiota; intestinal metabolism; urobilinogen; urobilinoids.

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Conflict of interest statement

Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests.

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