Artifacts produced during acid-catalyzed methanolysis of sterol esters.

Sterol esters were transesterified within 1 hr using either acid or base catalysts. Acid-catalyzed methanolysis of sterol esters with HCl, H2SO4, or BF3 leads to the formation of two artifacts derived from the sterol portion of the molecule; they were identified as dehydrated and methoxylated derivatives of sterols. These two artifacts were not produced using a base-catalyzed methanolysis with NaOCH3.