Stigmasterol

Stigmasterol is a phytosterol with chemical structure similar to cholesterol and anti-hypercholestrolemic activity. It exhibits anticancer, anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, antidiabetic, neuroprotective and immune-modulating properties. Stigmasterol exhibits antitumor effects in cancer cells mediated via inhibition of cell migration, cell cycle arrest, apoptosis/autophagy induction and angiogenesis inhibition. Stigmasterol is a potent in vitro antagonist of FXR (farnesoid X receptor), a DNA polymerase beta inhibitor and targets the GLUT4 glucose transporter. It has anti-osteoarthritic effects, by decreasing the expression of matrix metalloproteinases. Stigmasterol shows acetylcholinesterase inhibitory activity and also enriched glutamatergic synapses in cultures of brain neurons. It also has been shown to have antitrypanasomal and insecticidal activity and has been used as an adjuvant for beta lactam antibiotics against beta-lactamase positive clinical isolates. Stigmasterol is also used as a precursor for synthetic progesterone and vitamin D3 and is an intermediate in the biosynthesis of androgens, estrogens and corticoids.