What are Phytosterols?

Phytosterols (also called plant sterols) are a class of solid cyclic alcohols, found in both plants (e.g. campesterol, stigmasterol, beta-sitosterol) and animals (e.g. cholesterol). These are white powders with mild odors that are insoluble in water and soluble in alcohols.

The University of Havana's Microbiology Department has found that the wax of the sugarcane plant, currently used as a citrus-fruit coating and as a base for cosmetics, contains large amounts of phytosterols. The Microbiology Department has also isolated soil bacteria that can ferment these phytosterols to produce steroid intermediates.

The process of cholesterol lowering through the phytosterols occurs by incorporating cholesterol into micelles in the gastrointestinal tract. This mechanism helps in reducing the overall amount of cholesterol absorbed. The final outcome through this mechanism is that the cholesterol levels in the body gets controlled and it also modifies HDL, LDL and TAG levels.