TOCOL AND PHYTOSTEROL COMPOSITION OF EDIBLE OILS IN THE EGYPTIAN MARKET

摘要

The goal of this investigation was to quantify phytosterols (ST) (campesterol, β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, β-sitostanol and campestanol) and tocols (TO, tocopherol and tocotrienol) in the edible oils (corn oil, sunflower oil, blended oil and palm oil) in the Egyptian market. The best source of ST was corn oil (4,814 µg/g) samples while palm oil samples had the lowest ST level (660 µg/g). Values of total ST were 2,872 and 3,443 µg/g for sunflower and blended oil samples, respectively. β-sitosterol was the main ST (ca. 70%), followed by campesterol (ca. 16%) and stigmasterol (ca. 9.4%), while β-sitostanol and campestanol were detected in some oils in small amounts or traces. Levels of total TO in corn, sunflower, blended and palm oil samples were 891.4, 716.1, 707.5 and 311.8 µg/g, respectively. In sunflower and blended oil samples, -tocopherol was the main TO which accounted for more than 80% of total TO, while -tocopherol was found in lower levels in corn and palm oils accounting for ca. 40% of TO.