title: The effects of B-sitosterol (BSS) and B-sitosterol glucoside (BSSG) mixture on selected immune parameters of marathon runners: inhibition of post marathon immune suppression and inflammation.
abstract: A pilot study was undertaken to investigate the effects of the intake of capsules containing the plant sterols and sterolins (BSS:BSSG mixture) on selected immune parameters of volunteers participating in an ultra-marathon in Cape Town, South Africa. Those runners having received active capsules (n=9) showed less neutrophilia, lymphopenia and leukocytosis when compared to their counterparts having received placebo capsules (n=8): the placebo treated individuals showed significant increases in their total white blood cell numbers as well as in their neutrophils (p=0.03 and 0.03 respectively). Furthermore, statistically significant increases within lymphocyte subsets were observed in the runners having received the active capsules: CD3+ cells increased (p=0.02) as did CD4+ cells (p=0.03). In parallel, the BSS:BSSG capsules decreased the plasma level of IL6 in the runners using the active capsules (p=0.08) and significantly decreased the cortisol: DHEAs ratio (p=0.03), suggesting that these volunteers had less of an inflammatory response and were less immune suppressed during the post-marathon recovery period. These findings justify further investigations into the use of the phytosterols to prevent the subtle immunosuppression associated with excessive physical stress.
authors.affiliation: Dept. Medical Microbiology, Tygerberg, South Africa. pjdb@maties.sun.ac.za
authors.forename: P J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Bouic
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Clark
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Lamprecht
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Freestone
authors.forename: E J
authors.initials: EJ
authors.lastname: Pool
authors.forename: R W
authors.initials: RW
authors.lastname: Liebenberg
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kotze
authors.forename: P P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: van Jaarsveld
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001772:Blood Cell Count; D019587:Dietary Supplements; D015444:Exercise / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007165:Immunosuppression Therapy; D007249:Inflammation; D007964:Leukocytosis; D016131:Lymphocyte Subsets; D008231:Lymphopenia; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009504:Neutrophils; D010840:Phytosterols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*; D012855:Sitosterols / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology*
chemical_list: D010840:Phytosterols; D012855:Sitosterols; C025473:gamma-sitosterol