Tissue phytosterol and cholesterol levels in 10 benign and 8 malignant breast tumors were quantitated to reexamine the hypothesis that malignant tumors had distinctive phytosterol content. Phytosterols were present in 9 of 10 benign and 7 of 8 malignant breast tumors. Mean (+/- S.E.) cholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol in malignant and benign tumors (microgram/g wet weig...

Objective: Plant–derived male antifertility agents need to address the basic requirements of fertility suppression without affecting libido. This study was undertaken to evaluate the male antifertility potential of the β-sitosterol (BS) which is an active component isolated from the methanolic root extract of Barleria prionitis in the male albino rats. Methods: β-sitosterol was extracted using ...

Effective statin therapy is associated with a marked reduction of cardiovascular events. However, the explanation for full benefits obtained for LDL cholesterol targets by combined lipid-lowering therapy is controversial. Our study compared the effects of two equally effective lipid-lowering strategies on markers of cholesterol synthesis and absorption. A prospective, open label, randomized, pa...

Information on metabolic networks could provide the basis for the design of targets for metabolic engineering. To study metabolic flux in cereals, developing maize (Zea mays) kernels were grown in sterile culture on medium containing [U-C6]glucose or [1,2C2]acetate. After growth, amino acids, lipids, and sitosterol were isolated from kernels as well as from the cobs, and their C isotopomer comp...

Some oxidized forms of cholesterol (oxysterols) are thought to be atherogenic and cytotoxic. Because plant sterols are structurally related to cholesterol, we examined whether oxidized plant sterols (oxyphytosterols) could be identified in human serum and soy-based lipid emulsions. We first prepared both deuterated and nondeuterated reference compounds. We then analyzed by gas-liquid chromatogr...

Increasing trend of cardiovascular disease (CVD) is not completely controlled by allopathic medicine. However, usages of plant based medicine have a great impact on CVD. This study evaluated the preventive role of -sitosterol on heart weight, cardiac markers and other biochemical parameters in isoproterenol (ISO)-induced myocardial infarction (MI) in Wistar rats. -sitosterol pretreatment peri...

The gelation process of mixtures of γ-oryzanol and sitosterol structurants in sunflower oil was studied using light scattering, rheology, and micro-scanning calorimetry (Micro-DSC). The relation between temperature and the critical aggregation concentration (CAC) of tubule formation of γ-oryzanol and sitosterol was determined using these techniques. The temperature dependence of the CAC was use...

Specialized lipid domains (rafts) that are generally enriched in sterols and sphingolipids, are most likely present in cell membranes of animals, plants and fungi. While cholesterol and ergosterol are predominant in vertebrates and fungi, plants possess complex sterol profiles, dominated by sitosterol and stigmasterol in Arabidopsis thaliana. Fully hydrated model membranes of composition approa...

The glycoside, hypoxoside, identified and isolated from the corms of the African potato (Hypoxis hemerocallidea) has shown promising anticancer activities. The African potato is used as an African traditional medicine for its nutritional and medicinal properties. Most research has been carried out on H. hemerocallidea (formerly known as H. rooperi), with very little or nothing on other Hypoxis ...

Although both cholesterol and plant sterols are abundant in our diets, our intestinal epithelial cells selectively and efficiently rid the body of plant sterols. However, a rare mutation in plant sterol excretion in humans results in the accumulation of plant sterols, particularly sitosterol, in the plasma and tissues. Sitosterol differs from cholesterol only in an extra ethyl group on the ster...