title: Synthesis, isolation and characterisation of beta-sitosterol and beta-sitosterol oxide derivatives.
abstract: Beta-sitosterol is the most prevalent plant cholesterol derivative (phytosterol) and can undergo similar oxidation to cholesterol, leading to beta-sitosterol oxides. The biological impact of phytosterol oxides has only been evaluated in a phytosterol blend (usually of beta-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol and dihydrobrassicasterol). The lack of pure phytosterols, including beta-sitosterol, hinders the collection of significant toxicity data on the individual beta-sitosterol oxides. An efficient synthetic route to multi-gram quantities of pure beta-sitosterol is described here, together with the first syntheses and characterisation of pure beta-sitosterol oxides.
authors.affiliation: Department of Chemistry, School of Pharmacy, Analytical and Biological Chemistry Research Facility, University College Cork, Cork, Ireland. f.mccarthy@ucc.ie
authors.forename: Florence O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: McCarthy
authors.forename: Jay
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Chopra
authors.forename: Alan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ford
authors.forename: Sean A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Hogan
authors.forename: Joe P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Kerry
authors.forename: Nora M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: O'Brien
authors.forename: Eileen
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Ryan
authors.forename: Anita R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Maguire
mesh_terms: D008401:Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy; D010087:Oxides / Q000138:chemical synthesis / Q000737:chemistry; D012855:Sitosterols / Q000138:chemical synthesis* / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010087:Oxides; D012855:Sitosterols; C025473:gamma-sitosterol