For the first time, scientists have managed to identify the enzyme responsible for the golden color of urine. This is stated in a new study published in the journal Nature Microbiology.
Oddly enough, experts have not set themselves the task of finding out why urine is yellow. The aim of their study was to understand how the gut microbiome might be associated with jaundice in infants.
It has been known for over a century that the body converts bilirubin in the blood into urine molecules called urobilin. These molecules give urine its yellow color. However, scientists did not know which enzyme or enzyme group in the intestine was responsible for this change.
It turns out that gut microbes encode (produce) bilirubin reductase, which then converts bilirubin into a colorless byproduct, urobilinogen. Then, urobilinogen spontaneously breaks down into urobilin, which is responsible for the yellow color.
The color of a person’s urine can vary from day to day, but it should stay within a certain yellow range, according to the Cleveland Clinic. Ideally it should be a pale straw or amber color.
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Source: Ferra
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