"Decoding the Yellow Hue: Scientists Unveil the Secrets of Urine Color"
University of Maryland researchers have discovered why urine is yellow, identifying an enzyme called bilirubin reductase that converts bilirubin into urobilinogen, which then degrades into the yellow pigment urobilin. This enzyme is present in most healthy adults but often missing in newborns and those with inflammatory bowel disease, potentially contributing to infant jaundice and pigmented gallstones. The study, published in Nature Microbiology, not only solves a longstanding biological mystery but also opens up new avenues for understanding the gut-liver axis and its impact on health.