Natural Sterols

Natural sterols can be divided into animal sterols, plant sterols and mycosterols according to their sources. There are various types of sterols, such as cholesterol, which is an important component of higher animal cells, and cholesteryl esters formed by it and long-chain fatty acids, which are important components of plasma lipoproteins and cell membranes.

Fig. 1. Structurally modified plant sterols and their effects (Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2018, 66(12): 3047-3062).

Natural Sterol Complex

Animal-derived Sterols

Sterols from animals usually include cholesterol, cholestanol, and fecal sterols. Animal sterols play key physiological regulatory roles in animals and are essential for maintaining normal physiological functions and metabolic processes. Sterols are usually found in cell membranes, brain and nervous tissue, reproductive system, adrenal cortex, and adipose tissue.

Plant-derived Sterols

Phytosterols are naturally occurring active components of plants that are structurally similar to animal stanols such as cholesterol, and are found in seeds and pollen grains of plants in association with fats and oils. Phytosterols generally consist of β-sitosterol, canola sterols, and legumes sterols. Cereals are the main source of dietary phytosterols, which are generally found in the hulls, endosperm, germ and husk of cereals, with the highest content in the germ. It can be ingested directly from the diet or physically purified from corn and soybeans, and its most beneficial value to people is that it can regulate blood lipids.

Fungi-derived Sterols

Fungal sterols are sterol compounds found in fungi. Ergosterol is a fungal sterol, which is an important component of microbial cell membranes and plays an important role in ensuring cell viability, membrane fluidity, activity of membrane-bound enzymes, membrane integrity, and cellular material transportation.

How to obtain Sterols?

There are three ways to obtain sterols.

(1) Extraction method. Sterols can be obtained from natural substances, the process requires separation, filtration, purification and other steps.

(2) Partial synthesis of sterols. Partial synthesis of sterols is based on sterol substances, followed by chemical reaction or microbial transformation to finally obtain the target molecule.

(3) Total synthesis of sterols. The raw materials of sterols are converted into steroidal ring compounds through a series of chemical reactions or microbial transformation, and then functional groups of specific configurations can be introduced at different positions to obtain the target products.

Characteristics of Natural Sterols

• Natural sterols are derived from purely natural substances and are characterized by high nutritional value and strong physiological activity.
• Natural sterols come from a wide range of sources and exist in various organisms such as plants, animals and microorganisms.
• Natural sterols have good antioxidant properties and can be used as food additives and animal growth agents.

Application of Natural Sterols

• Natural sterols have strong anti-inflammatory effects on the human body.
• Natural sterols are used in the prevention and treatment of coronary atherosclerosis type of heart disease.
• Natural sterols can promote wound healing, muscle proliferation, enhance capillary circulation.
• Natural sterols have high permeability to the skin, can maintain the skin surface water, promote skin metabolism and inhibit skin inflammation. Natural sterols can also be used as W/O emulsifiers for the production of creams, which are characterized by a good sense of use, durability, and resistance to deterioration.

BOC Sciences can provide you with many types of sterols products. If you are interested, keep in touch with us.

Reference

1. He, W.S. et al. Plant sterols: chemical and enzymatic structural modifications and effects on their cholesterol-lowering activity. Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. 2018, 66(12): 3047-3062.