ABSTRACT
Sterols are mostly formed from mevalonic acid. Phytosterols, which encompass plant sterols and stanols, are steroid compounds similar to cholesterol, which occur in plants and vary only in carbon side chains and/or in the presence or absence of a double bond. The sterols found in animals are called zoosterols and the best-known of these is cholesterol. Stanol ester is a heterogeneous group of chemical compounds known to reduce the level of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in blood when ingested, though to a much lesser degree than prescription drugs such as statins. Plant sterols are plant equivalents of cholesterol and have a very similar molecular structure. According to their structure, they can be divided into sterols and stanols, stanols being a saturated subgroup of sterols. The chemical structure of plant sterols is similar to cholesterol except for the addition of an extra methyl or ethyl group. However, the absorption of the plant sterols is comparatively lower than cholesterol in human beings.
