beta-sitosterol
Sign in to saveAlso known as β-sitosterol, 5-Cholesten-24-beta-ethyl-3-beta-ol, 3beta-Hydroxy-24-ethylcholest-5-ene, 24-Ethylcholesterol, β-Sitosterol
β-Sitosterol (beta-sitosterol) is one of several phytosterols (plant sterols) with chemical structures similar to that of cholesterol. It is a white, waxy powder with a characteristic odor, and is one of the components of the food additive E499. Phytosterols are hydrophobic and soluble in alcohols.
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Encyclopedic overview
10 sectionsContents
- Natural occurrences and food
- Human research
- Genetic disorder
- Precursor of anabolic steroid boldenone
- Chemistry
- Chemical engineering
- Synthesis
- Biosynthesis
- See also
- References
β-Sitosterol (beta-sitosterol) is one of several phytosterols (plant sterols) with chemical structures similar to that of cholesterol. It is a white, waxy powder with a characteristic odor, and is one of the components of the food additive E499. Phytosterols are hydrophobic and soluble in alcohols.
==Natural occurrences and food== β-Sitosterol is widely distributed in the plant kingdom. It is found in vegetable oil, nuts, avocados, and derived prepared foods such as salad dressings. Olavius algarvensis, a species of marine annelid, predominantly incorporate β-sitosterol into their cell membranes instead of cholesterol, though cholesterol is also present in said membranes.
Excerpted from Wikipedia’s “beta-sitosterol” article, available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence.