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The Bioavailability and Biological Activities of Phytosterols as Modulators of Cholesterol Metabolism

Journal

MOLECULES
Volume 27, Issue 2, Pages -

Publisher

MDPI
DOI: 10.3390/molecules27020523

Keywords

phytosterol; cholesterol; low density lipoprotein; bioavailability

Funding

  1. Science and Technology Project of Zhanjiang City [2021A05241]
  2. Regional Joint Fund of Natural Science Foundation of Guangdong Province-Regional Cultivation Project [21202107190000287]
  3. Discipline construction project of Guangdong Medical University [4SG21016G]

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This article reviews the research progress of phytosterols as a molecular regulator of cholesterol and the mechanism of action for this pharmacological effect. Phytosterols can reduce cholesterol absorption, regulate cholesterol metabolism, and significantly lower the plasma concentration of total cholesterol and triglycerides.
Phytosterols are natural sterols widely found in plants that have a variety of physiological functions, and their role in reducing cholesterol absorption has garnered much attention. Although the bioavailability of phytosterols is only 0.5-2%, they can still promote cholesterol balance in the body. A mechanism of phytosterols for lowering cholesterol has now been proposed. They not only reduce the uptake of cholesterol in the intestinal lumen and affect its transport, but also regulate the metabolism of cholesterol in the liver. In addition, phytosterols can significantly reduce the plasma concentration of total cholesterol, triglycerides, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), with a dose-response relationship. Ingestion of 3 g of phytosterols per day can reach the platform period, and this dose can reduce LDL-C by about 10.7%. On the other hand, phytosterols can also activate the liver X receptor alpha-CPY7A1 mediated bile acids excretion pathway and accelerate the transformation and metabolism of cholesterol. This article reviews the research progress of phytosterols as a molecular regulator of cholesterol and the mechanism of action for this pharmacological effect.

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