A diagnostic method for determining whether bile salts and bile pigments are present in the urine is the Urine Bile Salt & Bile Pigment test. These substances are normally absent from urine and their existence may be a sign of biliary tract or liver disease. Part of the bile produced by the liver and kept in the gallbladder, bile salts are essential for the breakdown and assimilation of lipids. Conversely, bile pigments—of which bilirubin is the most prominent—are the results of hemoglobin’s breakdown.

While diagnosing diseases of the liver or gallbladder, such as cirrhosis, hepatitis, or bile duct blockages, and evaluating liver function are the main goals of the Urine Bile Salt & Bile Pigment test,