"Researchers Uncover Enzyme Behind the Mystery of Yellow Urine"

Researchers have identified the enzyme bilirubin reductase, produced by gut bacteria, as the key factor in giving urine its yellow color. This discovery, published in Nature Microbiology, enhances our understanding of how the body processes old red blood cells and the role of the gut microbiome in health conditions like jaundice and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The enzyme converts bilirubin into urobilinogen, which then degrades into the yellow pigment urobilin. The presence of the gene for bilirubin reductase was found in 99.9% of healthy adults but was less prevalent in individuals with IBD and young infants, who are more susceptible to jaundice.