The aim of this report was to quantify five specific dietary phytosterols and phytostanols (campesterol, b-sitosterol, stigmasterol, b-sitostanol, and campestanol) in cereal foods and to study the effect of boiling on sterol content. A capillary column gas liquid chromatography procedure was used to analyse 76 cereal food items of Swedish and Dutch origin: 19 various flours, grains and germs, 31 processed cereals, including bran, flakes, cereal grains and pasta, nine breads, and 17 biscuits, cakes, crackers, cookies and sweet breads.
The median total phytosterol concentration was 49 (range 4.1-344) mg/100 g edible portion (e.p.). Flours, grains and germs had a median concentration of 52 (17-344) mg/100 g e.p., which was similar to breads, 54 (29-89) mg/100 g e.p., and different types of miscellaneous cakes and cookies, 52 (27-112) mg/100 g e.p. Processed cereal products had slightly lower concentrations with a median value of 39 (4.1-200) mg/100 g e.p. In general, b-sitosterol was the dominant phytosterol (62% of the total concentration), followed by campesterol (21%), while there were only small amounts of stigmasterol (4%), b-sitostanol (4%) and campestanol (2%). Boiling of cereal products only influenced the phytosterol concentration through change of water content.