Identification and determination of phytosterols in pharmaceutical preparations

For decades sterol containing plant extracts have found wide applications in the treatment of benign prostate enlargement. Especially in Germany, the extracts of Cucurbita spec. (pumpkin seeds), Sabal fructus and Urtica dioica, as well as other poorly defined „phytosterol“ preparations are widely used. In contrast to phytosterols from other plants of interest, the extracts of pumkin seeds contain significant amounts of Δ7-phytosterols and their glucosides, which are claimed to be responsible for the therapeutic effects due to their structural similarity to 5α-dihydrotestosteron. In continuation of our research o…