Quantitative Analysis of Sterols and Oxysterols in Foods by Gas Chromatography Coupled with Mass Spectrometry

The study aimed to determine the content of sterol oxidation products (oxysterols) in selected processed food products with the use of GC-MS. It is known that an excessively high consumption of cholesterol in foods can lead to atherosclerosis and coronary heart disease and may also promote the appearance of gallstones. Cholesterol oxidation products have mutagenic, angiotoxic and cytotoxic properties and can lead to the development of atherosclerosis and promote the occurrence of some cancers. The cholesterol content in the tested products ranged from 8.72 to 2007.11 mg/100 g fat, and plant sterols were determined in 5 out of 12 tested products and their content ranged from 5.88 to 380.8 mg/100 g fat. The studies showed the presence of sterol oxidation products in each analyzed product. The total oxysterol content ranged from 0.16 to 3.95 mu g/g fat in pastry products and from 0.06 to 9.72 mu g/g fat in meat products. Due to the presence of sterol oxidation products in all analyzed products, their content in food products should be monitored. The presented analytical method is a proper tool for the determination of sterol oxidation products in different food matrices.