β—谷甾醇广泛地分布于植物界,是最常见的植物甾醇之一。它已从玉米油、棉子油、米糠油、麦芽油、葵花子油等植物油脂的不皂化部分中分离出;很多中草药中也证明含有β—谷甾醇。从植物中提取的β—谷甾醇一般为多种植物甾醇的混和物,例如,从米糠油中提取的β—谷甾醇,还含有一定量的豆甾醇、芸苔甾醇、二氢化谷甾醇以及β—谷甾醇的异构体等植物甾醇。 β-sitosterol is widely distributed in the plant kingdom and is one of the most common phytosterols. It has been isolated from the unsaponifiable portion of vegetable oils such as corn oil, cottonseed oil, rice bran oil, wheat germ oil, sunflower oil and many other Chinese herbal medicines have also been shown to contain β-sitosterol. Beta-sitosterol extracted from plants is generally a mixture of phytosterols, for example, beta-sitosterol extracted from rice bran oil, as well as certain amounts of stigmasterol, brassinol, sitosterol and beta - sitosterol isomers and other phytosterols.