This book provides basic knowledge of the biology, chemistry, and function of oxysterols and its derivatives as well as of phytosterols in numerous human diseases. The book is divided into six sections and begins with an introduction to the biological and chemical properties of oxysterols and its derivatives as well as phytosterols, their synthesis, and the methods currently used for their detection in various biospecimens. The following section discusses in detail the various effects of oxysterols on numerous human diseases, including infectious diseases, inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, atherosclerosis, and cancer, as well as neurological and neuropsychiatric disorders. Importantly, the potential of oxysterols as biomarkers for some of these diseases is also highlighted. The book concludes with an outlook on the pharmacological and nutritional effects of oxysterols and phytosterols and their potential use by the food, and pharmaceutical industries. Aiming to provide an in-depth overview of the biological and the chemical properties of oxysterols and phytosterols and their implications for human health, this book will be of interest to basic and clinical scientists, as well as to anyone working in the food or pharmaceutical industry who is exploring the potential of oxysterols and phytosterols.

This eBook is a collection of articles from a Frontiers Research Topic. Frontiers Research Topics are very popular trademarks of the Frontiers Journals Series: they are collections of at least ten articles, all centered on a particular subject. With their unique mix of varied contributions from Original Research to Review Articles, Frontiers Research Topics unify the most influential researchers, the latest key findings and historical advances in a hot research area! Find out more on how to host your own Frontiers Research Topic or contribute to one as an author by contacting the Frontiers Editorial Office: frontiersin.org/about/contact.

A review of various types of whole grains, the bioactives present within them, and their health-promoting effects As rates of obesity and other chronic conditions continue to rise, so too does the need for clear and accurate information on the connections between diet and disease, particularly regarding the cereal grains that dominate the Western diet. In this volume, editors Jodee Johnson and Taylor Wallace assemble a panel of leading experts to address this issue. The result is a comprehensive examination of the cereal and pseudo-cereal grains and their most important bioactive compounds. Not only does this volume offer summaries of existing research, it also places these findings within the larger context of health promotion and disease prevention. This includes frank discussions on the limitations of existing studies, as well as current gaps in research for those who want to offer evidence-based recommendations to their patients. Topics addressed include: Methodical analyses of domesticated grain species, their horticultural history, nutritional composition, and known effects on health Beneficial properties of certain bioactive compounds found in particular grain species How bioactive compounds work within an individual’s overall diet to increase health and prevent disease Academic and industry researchers, as well as medical practitioners and public health professionals, will appreciate Whole Grains and their Bioactives, not only as an engaging overview of current research, but also as an illuminating contribution to the often-murky debate surrounding health and the human diet.

The Biology of Cholesterol and Related Steroids focuses on the study of sterols in relation to living organisms. The publication first takes a look at the analysis of sterols and related steroids and the distribution of sterols and related steroids in nature, as well as the processes of extraction and separation and presence of sterols in plants, fungi, vertebrates, and invertebrates. The text then ponders on biosynthesis of sterols and metabolism of cholesterol. Topics include formation of fatty acid esters of cholesterol, steroid hormones, biosynthetic pathway to sterols, reaction mechanisms, and comparative aspects of sterol synthesis. The manuscript examines the developmental aspects of cholesterol metabolism and sterols in biological membranes. The book also reviews cholesterol synthesis in animal tissues, sterol metabolism in isolated cells, and epidemiology of the plasma cholesterol. Discussions focus on selection of statistical populations, genetic influences, regulation of sterol synthesis, general aspects of sterol metabolism, and removal of cell cholesterol in vivo. The publication is a dependable source of data for biochemists and readers interested in the biology of cholesterol and steroids.

Based on years of academic and industrial research by an international panel of experts, Chemical, Biological, and Functional Properties of Food Lipids, Second Edition provides a concise, yet well-documented presentation of the current state of knowledge on lipids. Under the editorial guidance of globally recognized food scientists Zdzislaw E. Siko

This book comprehensively reviews several aspects of cholesterol oxidation products: cholesterol oxidation mechanisms, analytical determination, origin and content of these compounds in foods and biological samples, and their biological effects, with an emphasis on recent advances in these fields. Information on different aspects of phytosterol oxidation is reviewed. Little research has been conducted on the analysis of mixed sterol oxidation products. Mixed diets containing both cholesterol and phytosterols can contain a complex array of oxidation products generated from these sterols. Research into the problem of analyzing these complex mixtures of compounds is highlighted.