Electrochemistry of bile acids, cholesterol, and related compounds (an overview)

Abstract

This review summarizes electrochemical methods used for the investigation, determination, and monitoring of bile acids and their conjugates, cholesterol, phytosterols, and related compounds. In electrochemistry-related research they do not belong among frequently studied compounds, because they are inactive under variety of conditions and electrode materials. The several examples of their redox activity include electrochemical reduction of bile acids at mercury electrodes and modified glassy carbon electrodes and electrochemical oxidation of cholesterol, phytosterols, and related compounds at glassy carbon and boron-doped diamond electrodes in nonaqueous media. A brief survey of these methods and their utilization for monitoring of tested compounds in biological and pharmaceutical matrices is given.