You mention maleic acid. Maleic acid should not be confused with malic acid which are different types of dicarboxylic acids.
Cholesterol re-absorption in the intestines can be blocked with an essential fatty acid "alpha-olefin maleic acid". This may be way of expelling excess bile, mainly cholesterol, and facilitating the biliary equivalent of an oil change but the evidence is not sufficiently robust at this point in time.