Sterols are a class of naturally occurring compounds found in plants, animals, and fungi. They are a type of lipid,
structurally similar to cholesterol, and play essential roles in various biological processes.
The most well-known sterol is cholesterol, which is primarily found in animal tissues, but there are several other sterols
with important functions as well.
Plant sterols, also known as phytosterols, are commonly found in the cell membranes of plants. The two main types of plant sterols
are sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol. These sterols have a similar structure to cholesterol but with slight variations.
Plant sterols are naturally present in various plant-based foods such as fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, and oils.
Sterols, both animal and plant-derived, have important physiological functions in the body.
Examples of some common sterols found in herbal leaf extracts are provided below:
Beta-Sitosterol
- This is one of the most prevalent plant sterols found in herbal extracts. It is structurally similar to cholesterol and can be found
in various plant sources, including herbs like saw palmetto, pygeum, and stinging nettle.
Campesterol - This sterol has been investigated for its potential
cholesterol-lowering effects and may contribute to the cardiovascular health benefits associated with plant sterol consumption.
Stigmasterol - Found in various herbal extracts, including those derived from
soybeans, fenugreek, and black cohosh. It has been studied for its potential anti-inflammatory and hormone-modulating effects.
Delta-7-Sitosterol - A plant sterol found in certain herbal extracts, including
those derived from saw palmetto and pumpkin seeds. It is often associated with potential benefits for prostate health.
Other Plant Sterols - Brassicasterol, avenasterol, and stigmastanol,
are examples of other sterols that can be found in herbal leaf extracts.
Examples of some common sterols found in bark are provided below:
Beta-Sitosterol
- A very common plant sterol that has been studied for its potential benefits for heart health and its anti-inflammatory properties.
Stigmasterol - Also found in some bark extracts,
stigmasterol has been researched for its potential anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
Campesterol - This sterol, found in the bark of some trees,
has been studied for its potential cardiovascular benefits.
Cycloartenol - This is a precursor of other plant sterols and is involved in the
biosynthesis of steroidal saponins and other complex molecules in plants.
Below are listed some examples of some seeds in which sterols are found:
Sunflower Seeds
- These seeds contain a significant amount of plant sterols, particularly beta-sitosterol, campesterol, and stigmasterol.
Sesame Seeds - These are
another good source of plant sterols, including beta-sitosterol and campesterol.
Pumpkin Seeds - Contain a variety of plant sterols,
with beta-sitosterol being the most abundant.
Flaxseeds (Linseeds) - Their sterols include beta-sitosterol, campesterol,
and stigmasterol.
Rapeseeds (Canola) - Canola oil, derived from the seeds of the
canola plant, is a rich source of plant sterols, including sitosterol, campesterol, and brassicasterol.
Examples of some sterols found in brown seaweed are listed below:
Fucosterol
- This is one of the most abundant sterols in brown seaweeds. It has been studied for its potential health benefits,
including antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
Ergosterol - Present in some brown seaweeds,
for example Ecklonia cava, common in Korea and Japan, contains sterols ergosterol as well as fucosterol.
Brassicasterol - Present, alongside fucosterol,
in ascophyllum nodosum (Knotted Wrack).
Campesterol - Found in Sargassum fulvellum, among other brown seaweed species.
Saringosterol - This sterol is also found in Sargassum and has been studied
for its potential health benefits.
24-Methylenecholesterol - Has been found in Sargassum species, such as
Sargassum muticum and Sargassum fusiforme (also known as Hijiki seaweed).
Examples of some sterols found in green seaweed are listed below:
Fucosterol
- While more common in brown seaweeds, fucosterol is also found in some green seaweed species, such as Ulva lactuca.
Cholesterol - This sterol has been detected in
Caulerpa lentillifera (also known as "sea grapes" or "green caviar") and in Codium fragile
(commonly referred to as "green sea fingers" or "dead man's fingers").
Campesterol - Has been found in species such as Ulva lactuca and Caulerpa lentillifera.
Beta-sitosterol - This sterol has been identified in Ulva pertusa.
The extraction process, including the solvents and methods used, can influence the concentration and types of sterols present in the final extract.
It is often the case that a balance needs to be found between fully-extracting all sterols while also ensuring that the compounds that are
obtained are of a high quality and not degraded.
At Celignis we have extensive experience in the design and optimisation of extraction protocols for a wide variety of chemical constituents from
many different biomass types. If needed we can also work on processes to separate and purify the target compounds.
Click here to read more about Celignis's Bioprocess Development Services for the extraction of
chemicals from biomass.
Celignis will be presenting their outputs from the first 12-months of the project
Celignis's Oscar and Fernando are today attending the 12-month review meeting of our CBE-JU research project MANUREFINERY. The event is taking place at the facility of project partner ENCO in Naples, Italy.
MANUREFINERY, entitled "Smart modular mobile biorefining of manure to zero-waste maximising resource recovery for feed and fertiliser bioingredients in rural areas" is one of the 7 ongoing CBE-JU projects that Celignis is currently involved in. Click here to read more about these projects.
Today we welcomed our partners from the EnXylaScope project to Limerick for the final in-person meeting of the project. The event is being held at the Limerick Strand Hotel and will include a tour of Celignis's Bioprocess and Analytical facilities.
EnXylaScope has been a hugely successful project, leading to multiple innovations in enzyme discovery and biomass processing, with Celignis making impactful developments in technologies for xylan extraction and modification. The project's success has led to a number of follow-on projects (BIONEER and PROMOFER) that involve demonstration of these technologies at higher TRL levels.
Lalitha Presents our EnXylaScope Work at EUBCE 2025
Event takes place in Valencia Spain
Lalitha is today presenting the outputs of our EnXylaScope project at the 34th European Biomass Conference & Exhibition (EUBCE) which is being held in Valencia, Spain.
The presentation, entitled "EnXylaScope: Unleashing xylan's potential with enzymes for a scope of consumer products", will provide a wide-ranging overview of the project which is now in its 4th year.
Today we registered sample number 50,000 on our internal LIMS system. Over the years we have analysed every kind of biomass sample imagineable and we look forward to achieving further milestones in the future as we continue to grow and expand our operations.
Will play a key role as our "Mechanical Engineer for Scaled-up Bioprocesses"
Today the Celignis family welcomed Dileep Raveendran-Nair to the fold. Dileep is a Mechanical Engineer with over 11 years of hands-on experience in biofuel, biochar, and bioproduct process engineering. His career has focused on the operation, maintenance, and optimization of large-scale bioprocess and bioenergy systems, integrating engineering precision with biotechnological innovation to advance sustainable industrial application.
At Celignis he will play a key-role ("Mechanical Engineer for Scaled-up Bioprocesses") in the development of our bioprocessing capabilities as we increase the Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) of our bioprocessing facility to TRL7 and cubic-metre reactors.
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