Composition of the sterol fraction of lipids extracted from oilseeds

Abstract

The sterol fraction of 38 samples of edible vegetable oils was examined by preparative TLC and GLC of trimethyl silyl derivatives. Results are shown graphically and in a table. The following composition, classified by families was obtained (% cholesterol, brassicasterol, campesterol, stigmaterol, beta-sitosterol, Delta 7-stigmastenol): tea seed (1 sample), 0.2, 0.3, 1.7, trace, 33.7, 64.1; rapeseed, 0.5-0.9, 9.2-12.7, 27.5-37.3, trace-1.6, 51.8-58.9, 0-trace; groundnut, 0.3-0.9, 0-trace, 13.9-18.4, 8.9-13.0, 66.9-75.6, 0.7-1.3; soybean, 0.3-0.5, 0-0.2, 13.0-24.0, 14.5-22.3, 50.3-60.2, 1.4-10.2; grape seed, 0.2-0.4, 0-trace, 10.2-10.5, 11.8-12.2, 74.2-75.3, 2.2-3.0; sesame, trace-0.3, 0-trace, 18.8-27.6, 7.4-11.1, 58.7-71.9, 0.7-2.5; safflower, 0.2-0.7, 0, 10.6-15.2, 9.0-11.7, 44.2-58.4, 18.6-28.1; sunflower, trace-0.2, 0, 9.6-11.0, 10.1-11.6, 62.1-65.6, 13.7-17.0; corn, trace-0.4, 0, 16.8-21.7, 6.2-7.3, 68.2-71.5, 2.8-5.1. Safflower and sunflower oil (Compositae) also contained small amounts of an unidentified sterol. Variety and production area did not affect qualitative composition but had some effect on quantitative composition of sterol fractions, though variations in most cases were only slight.