Phytosterol

Description

Phytosterol is extracted from plants like corn, soybean by physical purification. It contains β-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol and brassicasterol. Phytosterol mainly exists in the seed of plant , it has high-nutrition value and strong physiological activity. The appearance is white solid in the form of schistose or powder.    
Phytosterol can reduce the risk of angiocardiopathy through reducing the cholesterol. It is widely used in food, medical, cosmetics, animal growth agent and paper produce, printing, textile fields. Otherwise, phytosterol is the important raw material of steroidal drug.
Phytosterol has the significant function of lowering blood fat. However, it cannot dissolve in water and the solubility in oil is quite limited. Phytosterol ester has greatly improved the fat-soluble and absorbed as free sterol through the pancreatic lipase hydrolysis of cholesterol. This is the only difference in the metabolism of free sterol and esterified sterol. So the physiological functions of phytosterol ester and phytosterol are the same. Phytosterol esters as hypolipidemic function factor can be widely used in margarine, oil and ice cream and other products and can improve the nutritional value.