# Phytosterols: Physiological Functions and Potential Application

## TL;DR

This review explores phytosterols, natural plant compounds with health benefits like lowering cholesterol and anti-inflammatory effects, and their potential in food applications.

## Contribution

The paper provides a contemporary overview of phytosterol extraction, bioactivities, mechanisms, and food applications.

## Key findings

- Phytosterols have cholesterol-lowering, anticancer, and anti-inflammatory effects.
- Current research focuses on structure-function relationships and mechanisms of action.
- Phytosterols are widely studied for their in vivo and in vitro bioactivities.

## Abstract

Dietary intake of natural substances to regulate physiological functions is currently regarded as a potential way of promoting health. As one of the recommended dietary ingredients, phytosterols that are natural bioactive compounds distributed in plants have received increasing attention for their health effects. Phytosterols have attracted great attention from scientists because of many physiological functions, for example, cholesterol-lowering, anticancer, anti-inflammatory, and immunomodulatory effects. In addition, the physiological functions of phytosterols, the purification, structure analysis, synthesis, and food application of phytosterols have been widely studied. Nowadays, many bioactivities of phytosterols have been assessed in vivo and in vitro. However, the mechanisms of their pharmacological activities are not yet fully understood, and in-depth investigation of the relationship between structure and function is crucial. Therefore, a contemporaneous overview of the extraction, beneficial properties, and the mechanisms, as well as the current states of phytosterol application, in the food field of phytosterols is provided in this review.