Question map
Plants contain a variety of sterols like stigmasterol, ergosterol, sitosterol etc., which very closely resemble cholesterol. These plant sterols are referred as :
Explanation
Plants contain various sterols such as stigmasterol, ergosterol, and sitosterol, which are collectively referred to as phytosterols [2]. These natural plant compounds belong to the triterpene family and are structurally very similar to cholesterol, which is the primary zoosterol found in animals [1]. Phytosterols are essential components of plant cell membranes and are found in high concentrations in vegetable oils and oilseeds [2]. While they resemble cholesterol, they differ slightly in their carbon side chains or the presence of double bonds [2]. In contrast, calciferols (including ergocalciferol or Vitamin D2) are vitamers of Vitamin D produced through the irradiation of sterols like ergosterol [3]. Lumisterol is a stereoisomer produced in the skin via the photochemical transformation of pre-vitamin D3 during UV exposure [4]. Therefore, the general term for these plant-derived sterols is phytosterols.
Sources
- [1] https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC11584608/
- [2] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phytosterol
- [3] https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/biochemistry-genetics-and-molecular-biology/lumisterol
- [4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK278935/