Cholestanol and Plant Sterols in the Adrenal Gland of the Rat.

Abstract

Adrenal sterols of rats on the ordinary laboratory diet were subjected to successive chromatography on silica gel and silver nitrateimpreg-nated silica gel chromatoplates. Gas liquid chromatographic analysis of resulting unsaturated ([DELTA]5) sterol fraction revealed the presence of cholesterol and plant sterols, campesterol, stigmasterol, and [beta]-sito-sterol. Cholestanol and corresponding ring saturated (5[alpha]) plant sterols, campestanol, stigmastenol, and ([beta]-sitostanol, were found in the stanol fraction where the latter sterol group constituted about 20 percent of total stanols. Cholesterol accounted for approximately 94 percent of the total, the rest being mainly due to plant sterols (5 percent) and cholestanol (1 percent). In addition, small amounts of cholesterol precurors were present.