Abstract
Cholesterol in foods of animal origin is readily oxidized during processing and storage when it is exposed to air, high temperature, free radicals, and singlet oxygen. A number of evidence suggest that some endogenously oxidized cholesterol act as an inhibitor of sterol biosynthesis, or cytotoxic and atherogenic agents in various in vitro assays. However, physiological effects of exogenous oxidized cholesterol remain poorly understood. This review is a summary on the level of various oxidized cholesterols in processed foods and deleterious effects of dietary oxidized cholesterol on metabolism and cytofunctions.
