Methodological Aspects of Phytosterol Measurements in Biological Samples. 2019

Helena Gylling, and Piia Simonen, and Leena Kaipiainen, and Ingmar Wester
University of Helsinki and Helsinki University Hospital, Internal Medicine, Helsinki, Finland.

Phytosterol measurement has gained a lot of interest during the last two decades after foods and supplements with added 4-desmethyl phytosterols were recognized and used as effective and safe non-pharmacologic hypocholesterolemic agents, and also after the mechanisms of intestinal absorption and hepatic excretion of sterols were unraveled. In addition, the wide use of serum phytosterols as biomarkers of cholesterol absorption has increased the interest in their measurement. In this review, the basic methods are discussed without going into details of the practical operations. The analysis includes first lipid extraction and saponification from various biologic matrices such as serum/plasma, feces, or tissues, after which the individual sterols are separated by adsorption chromatography (gas-liquid or liquid or high performance liquid chromatography) based on the polarity of the various sterols. We also deal with some specific aspects of phytosterol measurements in biological samples such as the need of harmonization of their analysis in biological samples, the discrepancies in the results of sitosterol and campesterol concentrations between different studies, and what is known about their biological day-to-day fluctuation. Phytosterols have a remarkable role in human health, so that their complicated and time consuming measurements call attention to routine ways of standardization between the sterol research laboratories.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D010840 Phytosterols A class of organic compounds known as sterols or STEROIDS derived from plants. Plant Sterols,Phytosteroid,Phytosteroids,Phytosterol,Plant Steroid,Plant Steroids,Plant Sterol,Steroid, Plant,Steroids, Plant,Sterol, Plant,Sterols, Plant
D001826 Body Fluids Liquid components of living organisms. Body Fluid,Fluid, Body,Fluids, Body
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man

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