Impact of phytosterols on mitochondrial functions

摘要

Phytosterols are structurally related to cholesterol and are mainly C28 and C29 carbon steroid alcohols(1). Plant sterols, also named phytosterols, are integral components of the membrane lipid bilayer of plant cells(2). Unlike animal systems in whichcholesterol is most often the single final product of sterol synthesis, each plant species has its own characteristic distribution of phytosterols, with the three most common phytosterols in nature being β-sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol(3). In addition to the free sterol form, phytosterols are also found in the form of conjugates, particularly fatty acyl sterol esters.