Study of the natural antihistamine-like substance in bile of mammals

Abstract

A natural antihistamine substance (NAS) present in bile has been investigated. It was found that the antihistamine activity was not due to proteins, lipids, pigments, or amino acids. On ion exchange chromatography and thin-layer chromatography, this activity was associated with bile acids. Many bile acids could, in varying degrees, inhibit the histamine induced guinea pig ileum contraction, desoxycholic acid being the most potent. However NAS activity could be separated from bile acids and their conjugates using a different solvent system. Furthermore, NAS showed a higher antihistamine activity than bile acids. This substance seems to be responsible for 15–20% of the activity of whole bile. The substance has not yet been identified.