AUTHOR=Salehi Bahare , Quispe Cristina , Sharifi-Rad Javad , Cruz-Martins Natália , Nigam Manisha , Mishra Abhay Prakash , Konovalov Dmitryi Alexeevich , Orobinskaya Valeriya , Abu-Reidah Ibrahim M. , Zam Wissam , Sharopov Farukh , Venneri Tommaso , Capasso Raffaele , Kukula-Koch Wirginia , Wawruszak Anna , Koch Wojciech TITLE=Phytosterols: From Preclinical Evidence to Potential Clinical Applications JOURNAL=Frontiers in Pharmacology VOLUME=11 YEAR=2021 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/pharmacology/articles/10.3389/fphar.2020.599959 DOI=10.3389/fphar.2020.599959 ISSN=1663-9812 ABSTRACT=

Phytosterols (PSs) are plant-originated steroids. Over 250 PSs have been isolated, and each plant species contains a characteristic phytosterol composition. A wide number of studies have reported remarkable pharmacological effects of PSs, acting as chemopreventive, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, and antiatherosclerotic agents. However, PS bioavailability is a key issue, as it can be influenced by several factors (type, source, processing, preparation, delivery method, food matrix, dose, time of administration into the body, and genetic factors), and the existence of a close relationship between their chemical structures (e.g., saturation degree and side-chain length) and low absorption rates has been stated. In this sense, the present review intends to provide in-depth data on PS therapeutic potential for human health, also emphasizing their preclinical effects and bioavailability-related issues.