Quantitative GLC analysis of sterols in biological samples.

A GLC method for the quantitative analysis of cholesterol, beta-sitosterol, stigmasterol, campesterol, 7-dehydrocholesterol, and dihydrocholesterol in biological samples was developed to screen serum and lipid extracts of heart and liver tissue for these sterols precisely. The addition of the internal standard, cholestane, at the beginning of the procedure led to a reduction in the required sample size and the elimination of several steps. The only critical measurements are those of the biological samples and internal standard.