COLLECTION OF BILE JUICES FROM TURKEY GALLBLADDERS

THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THIS PROJECT IS TO COMMERCIALLY PRODUCE URSODEOXYCHOLIC ACID (URSODIOL) FROM WASTE PRODUCTS (TURKEY BILE) OF THE POULTRY BY A ONE-STEP MICROBIAL TRANSFORMATION PROCESS OF CHENODIOL TO URSODIOL. TURKEY BILE IS RICH IN CHENODIOL. URSODIOL IS VERY EXPENSIVE ($800-$2,000/KG) AND ONLY PRODUCED BY COMPANIES OUTSIDE THE USA. URSODIOL IS A MEDICALLY IMPORTANT DRUG USED TO DISSOLVE GALLSTONES, PREVENT LIVER DISEASE AND AMELIORATE GASTROINTESTINAL SYMPTOMS ASSOCIATED WITH MALDIGESTION. THE SPECIFIC AIMS OF THIS PHASE I PROPOSAL ARE TO DESIGN AND FABRICATED PROTOTYPE VACUUM-OPERATED SUCTION DEVICES FOR THE EFFICIENT COLLECTION OF BILE JUICES FROM TURKEY GALLBLADDERS (40,000) TO 60,000 BIRDS/DAY) AT A HIGH SPEED PROCESSING PLANT, FIELD TEST AT LEAST TWO DIFFFERNT PROTOTYPE DEVICE DESIGNS, AND SELECT THE BEST DEVICE FOR THE LARGE SCALE COLLECTION OF BILE JUICES. DEVELOP METHODS OF CONCENTRATING AND PRESERVING THE COLLECTED BILE JUICES FOR TRANSPORT AND FOR FURTHER USE TO PRODUCE URSODIOL. DETERMINE COST EFFECTIVENESS OF USING TURKEY BILE AS A STARTING NEW RAW MATERIAL FOR THE COMMERCIAL PRODUCTION OF URSODIOL.