Yoon Byoung-Hoon, Truong Van-Long, Jeong Woo-Sik
School of Food Science & Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea.
Food and Bio-Industry Research Institute, School of Food Science & Biotechnology, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 41566, Republic of Korea.
Molecules. 2025 Jun 6;30(12):2488. doi: 10.3390/molecules30122488.
Phytosterols, essential components of plant cell membranes, are abundant in fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds. Among them, β-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol have drawn significant interest for their well-documented biological activities. This review highlights recent advancements in extraction and analytical methods aimed at improving phytosterol yield, maintaining chemical stability, and reducing environmental impact. These innovative, eco-friendly techniques offer promising alternatives to traditional extraction approaches and hold potential for industrial-scale use. Phytosterols possess various bioactive properties, including antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, chemopreventive, cholesterol-lowering, and neuroprotective effects. Through these mechanisms, dietary phytosterols may help prevent cardiovascular and neurodegenerative diseases, type 2 diabetes, and certain cancers. Recent studies have focused on the identification, isolation, purification, and characterization of phytosterols from diverse food matrices, along with assessing their health benefits. However, the specific molecular pathways responsible for their pharmacological actions remain poorly understood, highlighting the need for further research, particularly in human clinical trials. This review provides a comprehensive overview of the extraction strategies, biological functions, and mechanisms of action of phytosterols, offering valuable insights for developing phytosterol-enriched functional foods and nutraceuticals.
植物甾醇是植物细胞膜的重要组成部分，在水果、蔬菜、坚果和种子中含量丰富。其中，β-谷甾醇、菜油甾醇和豆甾醇因其已被充分证明的生物活性而备受关注。本综述重点介绍了旨在提高植物甾醇产量、保持化学稳定性和减少环境影响的提取和分析方法的最新进展。这些创新的、环保的技术为传统提取方法提供了有前景的替代方案，并具有工业规模应用的潜力。植物甾醇具有多种生物活性特性，包括抗氧化、抗炎、化学预防、降胆固醇和神经保护作用。通过这些机制，膳食植物甾醇可能有助于预防心血管疾病和神经退行性疾病、2型糖尿病和某些癌症。最近的研究集中在从不同食物基质中鉴定、分离、纯化和表征植物甾醇，以及评估它们的健康益处。然而，对其药理作用的具体分子途径仍知之甚少，这突出了进一步研究的必要性，特别是在人体临床试验中。本综述全面概述了植物甾醇的提取策略、生物学功能和作用机制，为开发富含植物甾醇的功能性食品和营养保健品提供了有价值的见解。
