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Nutrients Sep 2015The efficacy of phytosterols and phytostanols added to foods and food supplements to obtain significant non-pharmacologic serum and low density lipoprotein (LDL)... (Review)
Review
The efficacy of phytosterols and phytostanols added to foods and food supplements to obtain significant non-pharmacologic serum and low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol reduction is well documented. Irrespective of age, gender, ethnic background, body weight, background diet, or the cause of hypercholesterolemia and, even added to statin treatment, phytosterols and phytostanols at 2 g/day significantly lower LDL cholesterol concentration by 8%-10%. They do not affect the concentrations of high density lipoprotein cholesterol, lipoprotein (a) or serum proprotein convertase subtilisin/kexin type 9. In some studies, phytosterols and phytostanols have modestly reduced serum triglyceride levels especially in subjects with slightly increased baseline concentrations. Phytosterols and phytostanols lower LDL cholesterol by displacing cholesterol from mixed micelles in the small intestine so that cholesterol absorption is partially inhibited. Cholesterol absorption and synthesis have been carefully evaluated during phytosterol and phytostanol supplementation. However, only a few lipoprotein kinetic studies have been performed, and they revealed that LDL apoprotein B-100 transport rate was reduced. LDL particle size was unchanged, but small dense LDL cholesterol concentration was reduced. In subjects with metabolic syndrome and moderate hypertriglyceridemia, phytostanols reduced not only non- high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol concentration but also serum triglycerides by 27%, and reduced the large and medium size very low density lipoprotein particle concentrations. In the few postprandial studies, the postprandial lipoproteins were reduced, but detailed studies with apoprotein B-48 are lacking. In conclusion, more kinetic studies are required to obtain a more complete understanding of the fasting and postprandial lipoprotein metabolism caused by phytosterols and phytostanols. It seems obvious, however, that the most atherogenic lipoprotein particles will be diminished.
Topics: Animals; Dietary Fats; Dietary Supplements; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Intestinal Absorption; Kinetics; Lipoproteins; Liver; Particle Size; Phytosterols; Postprandial Period; Treatment Outcome
PubMed: 26393644
DOI: 10.3390/nu7095374 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) May 2022Androstenedione (AD) is a key intermediate in the body's steroid metabolism, used as a precursor for several steroid substances, such as testosterone, estradiol, ethinyl... (Review)
Review
Androstenedione (AD) is a key intermediate in the body's steroid metabolism, used as a precursor for several steroid substances, such as testosterone, estradiol, ethinyl estradiol, testolactone, progesterone, cortisone, cortisol, prednisone, and prednisolone. The world market for AD and ADD (androstadienedione) exceeds 1000 tons per year, which stimulates the pharmaceutical industry's search for newer and cheaper raw materials to produce steroidal compounds. In light of this interest, we aimed to investigate the progress of AD biosynthesis from phytosterols by prospecting scientific articles (Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar databases) and patents (USPTO database). A wide variety of articles and patents involving AD and phytosterol were found in the last few decades, resulting in 108 relevant articles (from January 2000 to December 2021) and 23 patents of interest (from January 1976 to December 2021). The separation of these documents into macro, meso, and micro categories revealed that most studies (articles) are performed in China (54.8%) and in universities (76%), while patents are mostly granted to United States companies. It also highlights the fact that AD production studies are focused on "process improvement" techniques and on possible modifications of the "microorganism" involved in biosynthesis (64 and 62 documents, respectively). The most-reported "process improvement" technique is "chemical addition" (40%), which means that the addition of solvents, surfactants, cofactors, inducers, ionic liquids, etc., can significantly increase AD production. Microbial genetic modifications stand out in the "microorganism" category because this strategy improves AD yield considerably. These documents also revealed the main aspects of AD and ADD biosynthesis: sp. (basonym: sp.) (40%) and (known previously as ) (32%) are the most recurrent species studied. Microbial incubation temperatures can vary from 29 °C to 37 °C; incubation can last from 72 h to 14 days; the mixture is agitated at 140 to 220 rpm; vegetable oils, mainly soybean, can be used as the source of a mixture of phytosterols. In general, the results obtained in the present technological prospecting study are fundamental to mapping the possibilities of AD biosynthesis process optimization, as well as to identifying emerging technologies and methodologies in this scenario.
Topics: Androgens; Androstenedione; Biotransformation; Mycobacteriaceae; Phytosterols; Steroids
PubMed: 35630641
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27103164 -
Journal of AOAC International 2015Phytosterolemia (sitosterolemia) is a rare autosomal recessive sterol storage disease caused by mutations in either of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding cassette... (Review)
Review
Phytosterolemia (sitosterolemia) is a rare autosomal recessive sterol storage disease caused by mutations in either of the adenosine triphosphate (ATP) binding cassette transporter genes; (ABC) G5 or ABCG8, leading to impaired elimination of plant sterols and stanols, with their increased accumulation in the blood and tissues. Thus the disease is characterized by substantially elevated serum plant sterols and stanols, with moderate to high plasma cholesterol levels, and increased risk of premature atherosclerosis. Hematologic abnormalities including macrothrombocytopenia, stomatocytosis and hemolysis are frequently observed in sitosterolemia patients. Currently, ezetimibe, a sterol absorption inhibitor, is used as the routine treatment for sitosterolemia, with reported improvement in plant sterol levels and hemolytic parameters. This review summarizes the research related to the health impact of plant sterols and stanols on sitosterolemia.
Topics: ATP-Binding Cassette Transporters; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Intestinal Diseases; Lipid Metabolism, Inborn Errors; Mutation; Phytosterols; Plants
PubMed: 25941971
DOI: 10.5740/jaoacint.SGEAjagbe -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Oct 2018Metabolomics has become a powerful tool in chemical biology. Profiling the human sterolome has resulted in the discovery of noncanonical sterols, including oxysterols... (Review)
Review
Metabolomics has become a powerful tool in chemical biology. Profiling the human sterolome has resulted in the discovery of noncanonical sterols, including oxysterols and meiosis-activating sterols. They are important to immune responses and development, and have been reviewed extensively. The triterpenoid metabolite fusidic acid has developed clinical relevance, and many steroidal metabolites from microbial sources possess varying bioactivities. Beyond the prospect of pharmacognostical agents, the profiling of minor metabolites can provide insight into an organism's biosynthesis and phylogeny, as well as inform drug discovery about infectious diseases. This review aims to highlight recent discoveries from detailed sterolomic profiling in microorganisms and their phylogenic and pharmacological implications.
Topics: Communicable Diseases; Ergosterol; Humans; Metabolomics; Oxysterols; Phylogeny; Phytosterols; Sterols
PubMed: 30366429
DOI: 10.3390/molecules23112768 -
International Journal of Molecular... Feb 2022Plant sterols are important components of the cell membrane and lipid rafts, which play a crucial role in various physiological and biochemical processes during... (Review)
Review
Plant sterols are important components of the cell membrane and lipid rafts, which play a crucial role in various physiological and biochemical processes during development and stress resistance in plants. In recent years, many studies in higher plants have been reported in the biosynthesis pathway of plant sterols, whereas the knowledge about the regulation and accumulation of sterols is not well understood. In this review, we summarize and discuss the recent findings in the field of plant sterols, including their biosynthesis, regulation, functions, as well as the mechanism involved in abiotic stress responses. These studies provide better knowledge on the synthesis and regulation of sterols, and the review also aimed to provide new insights for the global role of sterols, which is liable to benefit future research on the development and abiotic stress tolerance in plant.
Topics: Gene Expression Regulation, Plant; Membrane Microdomains; Phytosterols; Plant Development; Plants; Sterols; Stress, Physiological
PubMed: 35216448
DOI: 10.3390/ijms23042332 -
International Journal of Molecular... Nov 2021Phytosterols constitute a class of natural products that are an important component of diet and have vast applications in foods, cosmetics, and herbal medicines. With... (Review)
Review
Phytosterols constitute a class of natural products that are an important component of diet and have vast applications in foods, cosmetics, and herbal medicines. With many and diverse isolated structures in nature, they exhibit a broad range of biological and pharmacological activities. Among over 200 types of phytosterols, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol were ubiquitous in many plant species, exhibiting important aspects of activities related to neurodegenerative diseases. Hence, this mini-review presented an overview of the reported studies on selected phytosterols related to neurodegenerative diseases. It covered the major phytosterols based on biosynthetic considerations, including other phytosterols with significant in vitro and in vivo biological activities.
Topics: Brain; Humans; Molecular Structure; Neurodegenerative Diseases; Neuroprotective Agents; Phytosterols; Phytotherapy; Plants, Medicinal; Sitosterols; Stigmasterol
PubMed: 34830148
DOI: 10.3390/ijms222212255 -
Current Pharmaceutical Design 2017Phytosterols (PS) are plant-based structural analogous of mammalian cholesterol that have been shown to lower blood cholesterol concentrations by ~10%, although... (Review)
Review
Phytosterols (PS) are plant-based structural analogous of mammalian cholesterol that have been shown to lower blood cholesterol concentrations by ~10%, although inter-individual response to PS supplementation due to subject-specific metabolic and genetic factors is evident. Recent work further suggests that PS may act as effective triglyceride (TG)-lowering agents with maximal TG reductions observed in hypertriglyceridemic subjects. Although PS have been demonstrated to interfere with cholesterol and perhaps TG absorption within the intestine, they also have the capacity to modulate the expression of lipid regulatory genes through liver X receptor (LXR) activation. Identification of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in key cholesterol and TG regulating genes, in particular adenosine triphosphate binding cassette G8 (ABCG8) and apolipoprotein E (apoE) have provided insight into the potential of utilizing genomic identifiers as an indicator of PS responsiveness. While PS supplementation is deemed safe, expanding research into the atherogenic potential of oxidized phytosterols (oxyphytosterols) has emerged with their identification in arterial lesions. This review will highlight the lipid-lowering utility and associated mechanisms of PS and discuss novel applications and future research priorities for PS pertaining to in utero PS exposure for long-term cardiovascular disease risk protection and combination therapies with lipidlowering drugs.
Topics: Animals; Clinical Trials as Topic; Dietary Supplements; Dyslipidemias; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Lipids; Phytosterols
PubMed: 28745211
DOI: 10.2174/1381612823666170725142337 -
International Journal of Molecular... Mar 2021Sitosterolemia is a lipid disorder characterized by the accumulation of dietary xenosterols in plasma and tissues caused by mutations in either or . encodes a pair of... (Review)
Review
Sitosterolemia is a lipid disorder characterized by the accumulation of dietary xenosterols in plasma and tissues caused by mutations in either or . encodes a pair of ABC half transporters that form a heterodimer (G5G8), which then traffics to the surface of hepatocytes and enterocytes and promotes the secretion of cholesterol and xenosterols into the bile and the intestinal lumen. We review the literature from the initial description of the disease, the discovery of its genetic basis, current therapy, and what has been learned from animal, cellular, and molecular investigations of the transporter in the twenty years since its discovery. The genomic era has revealed that there are far more carriers of loss of function mutations and likely pathogenic variants of than previously thought. The impact of these variants on G5G8 structure and activity are largely unknown. We propose a classification system for mutants based on previously published systems for diseases caused by defects in ABC transporters. This system establishes a framework for the comprehensive analysis of disease-associated variants and their impact on G5G8 structure-function.
Topics: ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 5; ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily G, Member 8; Animals; Cholesterol; Enterocytes; Hepatocytes; History, 21st Century; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Intestinal Diseases; Lipid Metabolism, Inborn Errors; Lipoproteins; Mutation; Phytosterols
PubMed: 33807969
DOI: 10.3390/ijms22052641 -
Revista Paulista de Pediatria : Orgao... 2020To carry out a systematic review on the effects of phytosterol supplementation on the treatment of dyslipidemia in children and adolescents.
OBJECTIVE
To carry out a systematic review on the effects of phytosterol supplementation on the treatment of dyslipidemia in children and adolescents.
DATA SOURCES
Review in the SciELO, Lilacs, Bireme, PubMed and Web of Science databases, with no time limit. Descriptors: phytosterols or plant sterols and dyslipidemias, hypercholesterolemia, cholesterol, children, adolescent, in English and Portuguese. The articles included were published in Portuguese, English or Spanish and evaluated the effect of phytosterol supplementation in pediatric patients with dyslipidemia. Documents that involved adults or animals, review papers, case studies and abstracts were excluded. Two authors performed independent extraction of articles. Of 113 abstracts, 19 were read in full and 12 were used in this manuscript.
DATA SYNTHESIS
Phytosterol supplementation to reduce cholesterol levels has been shown to be effective in reducing LDL-cholesterol levels by approximately 10%, with reductions above 10% in LDL-cholesterol levels observed after 8 to 12 weeks of intervention. Studies have not shown significant changes in HDL-cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Based on the absence of adverse effects, its use seems to be safe and of good tolerance in children and adolescents.
CONCLUSIONS
Phytosterol supplementation seems to be of great therapeutic aid for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia in children and adolescents. Further studies assessing the long-term effect of phytosterol supplementation are necessary.
Topics: Adolescent; Anticholesteremic Agents; Child; Child, Preschool; Cholesterol, LDL; Food, Fortified; Humans; Hypercholesterolemia; Phytosterols; Randomized Controlled Trials as Topic
PubMed: 33206867
DOI: 10.1590/1984-0462/2021/39/2019389 -
Molecules (Basel, Switzerland) Dec 2020This study investigated how the physicochemical characteristics of phytosterol esters are influenced by the chain length and degree of unsaturation of the fatty acid...
This study investigated how the physicochemical characteristics of phytosterol esters are influenced by the chain length and degree of unsaturation of the fatty acid ester moiety. Saturated and unsaturated phytosterol esters (PEs) were synthesized by the esterification of different types of fatty acids (stearic, palmitic, lauric, oleic, and linoleic acid) to β-sitosterol. The non-isothermal crystallization and melting behavior of the pure PEs were analyzed. It was proven by X-ray diffraction that saturated β-sitosteryl esters and β-sitosteryl oleate formed a bilayer crystal structure. The lamellar spacings of the bilayer structure decreased with decreasing fatty acid chain length and with an increasing degree in unsaturation. The degree of unsaturation of the fatty acid chain of the β-sitosteryl esters also influenced the type of subcell packing of the fatty acid moieties in the bilayer structure, whether or not a metastable or stable liquid crystalline phase was formed during cooling. Furthermore, it was found that the melting temperature and enthalpy of the β-sitosteryl esters increased with an increasing fatty acid chain length while they decreased with an increasing degree of unsaturation. The microscopic analyses demonstrated that β-sitosteryl oleate formed much smaller spherulites than their saturated β-sitosteryl analogues.
Topics: Crystallization; Esters; Fatty Acids; Phytosterols; Sitosterols; Temperature; X-Ray Diffraction
PubMed: 33291641
DOI: 10.3390/molecules25235727