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Phytosterols–what plant breeders should focus on
Author(s) -
Miettinen Tatu A
Publication year - 2001
Publication title -
journal of the science of food and agriculture
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.782
H-Index - 142
eISSN - 1097-0010
pISSN - 0022-5142
DOI - 10.1002/jsfa.901
Subject(s) - sterol , cholesterol , hydrolysis , fatty acid , food science , phytosterol , plant sterols , chemistry , biochemistry , biology
The present paper compares effects of plant stanol and sterol esters on metabolism of cholesterol and plant sterols in studies designed to lower serum cholesterol in man. The ultimate aim is to emphasize factors on which plant breeders should focus when trying to develop new nutritionally interesting plant products for effective lowering of serum cholesterol and plant sterol levels. The findings indicate that fat solubility of phytostanol esters followed by their effective intestinal hydrolysis, preferentially of unsaturated fatty acid esters, allows sufficient micellar solubilization of unesterified plant stanols for prevention of cholesterol and plant sterol absorption, and subsequent lowering of their serum concentrations. Plant sterol esters apparently result in similar changes but, in contrast to stanol esters, increase their own absorption. Resulting increased serum plant sterol levels could occasionally approach values seen in phytosterolemia, a strongly atherogenic hereditary metabolic abnormality. Thus, plants producing oils rich in plant stanols esterified with unsaturated fatty aids would be preferable for preparation of functional foods with roughly 2 g/day of plant stanols in reasonable low amounts of calories. © 2001 Society of Chemical Industry.