High Quality Content by WIKIPEDIA articles! Tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) is an ambiphilic bile acid. It is the taurine conjugate form of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA). Humans are found to have trace amounts of TUDCA. However, bears contain large amounts of TUDCA, ranging from 47% to 76% in the American and Asiatic bear, respectively. TUDCA has been used in ancient Asian pharmacopoeias for its ameliorating effects. These include anti-inflammatory effects towards the liver, dissolving effects for kidney stones, and cytoprotective effects in the central nervous system. UDCA is produced in several countries for the treatment of gallstones and liver cirrhosis. It is also approved by the Food and Drug Administration, in the U.S. for the treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis Ongoing research is finding TUDCA has diminishing apoptotic effects, helping with cardiac function, Huntington`s disease, Parkinson`s Disease, and stroke. Recently, TUDCA has been found to have protective effects in the eye, especially concerning retinal degenerative disorders.