ABSTRACT
The plant sterols possess steroid ring structures identical to those of cholesterol and are known to undergo esterification to fatty acid esters presumably via acyl coenzyme A: cholesterol acyltransferase and lecithin cholesterol acyltransferase, although specific demonstrations of these transformations are lacking. Likewise, the plant sterols are
believed to be subject to reduction of the double bond with the formation of 5α-stanols. However, these transformations take place at rates much lower than those affecting cholesterol.
