β-sitosterol: Bioactive Compounds in Foods, their Role in Health Promotion and Disease Prevention “A Concise Report of its Phytopharmaceutical Importance”

Background: Phytosterols is a steroidal compound having similar structure of cholesterol and more than 200 different types of sterols have been separated and isolated from different plants. Phytosterols are basically used as food supplements which are having cholesterol-lowering property. Objective: Phytosterols are available in the market in the form of capsules and tablets with other multivitamins. Average intake of naturally occurring phytosterols ranges between 150- 450 mg/day. β-sitosterol is one of the natural occuring phytosterols having steroidal moiety. β-sitosterol reduces cholesterol levels by competing with cholesterol for absorption in the intestine, and due to these aspects, it is valuable for cardiovascular protection. β-sitosterol also inhibits tumor growth, modulates immune response and has antioxidant capacity. In the future, β-sitosterol could be a potential chemo preventive agent for the treatment of various types of cancer including prostatic carcinoma and breast cancer. Conclusion: In the present paper, we collected the data regarding detailed pharmacological activities and analytical aspects of β -sitosterol which will be beneficial to the researchers, scientist and other persons of medical and pharmaceutical field.