ABSTRACT
Urobilinogen is a colorless compound which is present in normal urine. It is formed in the intestine as a result of the reducing action of intestinal bacteria on the principal pigment of the bile — bilirubin. Urobilinogen is a substance which is readily soluble in aqueous solutions. Subsequent to the formation of urobilinogen in the intestine, a portion is reabsorbed into the blood stream. Urobilinogen in urine can be measured quite readily, and as such has been found to provide important information relative to the function of the liver and to bile pigment metabolism. The amount of urobilinogen formed in the body is a function of the amount of bilirubin excreted in the bile into the intestine. If excessive bilirubin concentrations appear in the bile, then more urobilinogen will be formed. The popularity of urine urobilinogen tests as components of routine urinalysis varies quite widely in different parts of the world.
