Bin Sayeed Muhammad Shahdaat, Karim Selim Muhammad Rezaul, Sharmin Tasnuva, Morshed Mohammed Monzur
Department of Clinical Pharmacy and Pharmacology, University of Dhaka, Dhaka-1000, Bangladesh.
Department of Pharmacy, Daffodil International University, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh.
Medicines (Basel). 2016 Nov 15;3(4):29. doi: 10.3390/medicines3040029.
Beta-sitosterol (BS) is a phytosterol, widely distributed throughout the plant kingdom and known to be involved in the stabilization of cell membranes. To compile the sources, physical and chemical properties, spectral and chromatographic analytical methods, synthesis, systemic effects, pharmacokinetics, therapeutic potentials, toxicity, drug delivery and finally, to suggest future research with BS, classical as well as on-line literature were studied. Classical literature includes classical books on ethnomedicine and phytochemistry, and the electronic search included Pubmed, SciFinder, Scopus, the Web of Science, Google Scholar, and others. BS could be obtained from different plants, but the total biosynthetic pathway, as well as its exact physiological and structural function in plants, have not been fully understood. Different pharmacological effects have been studied, but most of the mechanisms of action have not been studied in detail. Clinical trials with BS have shown beneficial effects in different diseases, but long-term study results are not available. These have contributed to its current status as an "orphan phytosterol". Therefore, extensive research regarding its effect at cellular and molecular level in humans as well as addressing the claims made by commercial manufacturers such as the cholesterol lowering ability, immunological activity etc. are highly recommended.
β-谷甾醇（BS）是一种植物甾醇，广泛分布于植物界，已知其参与细胞膜的稳定。为了汇编其来源、物理和化学性质、光谱和色谱分析方法、合成、全身作用、药代动力学、治疗潜力、毒性、药物递送，最后提出关于BS的未来研究方向，我们研究了经典文献以及在线文献。经典文献包括民族医学和植物化学方面的经典书籍，电子检索包括PubMed、SciFinder、Scopus、科学网、谷歌学术等。BS可以从不同植物中获得，但其完整的生物合成途径以及在植物中的确切生理和结构功能尚未完全了解。已经研究了不同的药理作用，但大多数作用机制尚未详细研究。BS的临床试验已显示出对不同疾病的有益效果，但长期研究结果尚无。这些因素导致了它目前作为“孤儿植物甾醇”的地位。因此，强烈建议对其在人体细胞和分子水平的作用进行广泛研究，并回应商业制造商提出的诸如降低胆固醇能力、免疫活性等说法。
