The Sunlight Experiment

Compound Monograph

Stigmasterol

Stigmasterol — a common plant sterol (phytosterol) closely related to beta-sitosterol, reported to inhibit cholesterol absorption and frequently co-occurring with it in herbs.

Work in progress

Classification

Stigmasterol is a phytosterol, part of the terpenoids class. The largest class of plant compounds, built from five-carbon isoprene units — the essential-oil aromatics, resins, bitter principles, saponins, and plant sterols.

Terpenoids Sterols & Steroids

Where Does It Come From? (19)

Stigmasterol is a naturally occurring phytosterol, found in Globe Artichoke, Bacopa, Cat's Claw and 16 other sources. It is well tolerated orally (low toxicity).

African Dream Herb Entada rheedii Bacopa Bacopa monnieri Blue Lotus Flower Nymphaea caerulea Cat's Claw Uncaria tomentosa Catuaba Trichilia catigua Eleuthero Root Eleutherococcus senticosus Globe Artichoke Cynara scolymus Legumes Maca Lepidium meyenii Milk Thistle Silybum marianum Muira Puama Ptychopetalum olacoides Nuts and seeds Passionflower Passiflora incarnata Sarsaparilla Smilax spp. Soybeans and other vegetable oils Stevia Stevia rebaudiana Stinging Nettle Urtica dioica Suma Pfaffia paniculata Wireweed Sida acuta

Research & Evidence

Stigmasterol is a phytosterol that occurs alongside beta-sitosterol in a wide range of plants. As with beta-sitosterol, the source herb monographs in this database generally report it as part of the plant’s sterol fraction rather than as an independently-studied active compound.

  • Cholesterol absorption — its best-characterised activity. In Pfaffia paniculata (suma), stigmasterol and beta-sitosterol are described as inhibiting cholesterol absorption, which in turn mildly suppresses plasma cholesterol concentrations 1Reference 1Masami Oshima et al. · 2003AnimalPfaffia paniculata-induced changes in plasma estradiol-17β, progesterone and testosterone levels in mice. Suma is also reported to contain stigmasterol glycosides (stigmasterol-3-O-β-D-glucoside / stigmasteryl-β-D-glucoside) as part of its sterol profile 2Reference 2Taylor · 2005The healing power of rainforest herbs: A guide to understanding and using herbal medicinals.
  • Constituent of sterol-rich herbs — stigmasterol is documented among the sterols of bacopa 3Reference 3Bacopa monniera · 2004ReviewAlternative Medicine Review: A Journal Of Clinical Therapeutic, 9(1), 79-85, eleuthero, milk thistle, maca, catuaba, cat’s claw, artichoke and stinging nettle, typically listed in the phytochemistry of each plant. In nettle, for example, sterols including stigmasterol are reported in both leaf and root 4Reference 4Bone K · 2013Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy.

Because the source pages treat stigmasterol as a co-occurring constituent rather than an isolated drug, this page is intentionally short and honest. The references below are the entries from those pages that genuinely pertain to the sterol.

Toxicity & Safety

Stigmasterol is a normal dietary phytosterol and is well tolerated; none of the source herb monographs flag it as toxic. Practical safety considerations attach to the whole herbs in which it is found rather than to the sterol itself. The honest position is that the source material says little specifically about stigmasterol’s safety, which is consistent with its status as a common, food-derived plant sterol.

References

  1. Masami Oshima, and Yeunhwa Gu. (2003). Pfaffia paniculata-induced changes in plasma estradiol-17β, progesterone and testosterone levels in mice. Journal of Reproduction and Development. 49. 2. 175-180.
  2. Taylor, L. (2005). The healing power of rainforest herbs: A guide to understanding and using herbal medicinals. Garden City Park, NY: Square One Publishers.
  3. Bacopa monniera. Monograph. (2004). Alternative Medicine Review: A Journal Of Clinical Therapeutic, 9(1), 79-85.
  4. Bone K, Mills S. (2013). Principles and Practice of Phytotherapy. Elsevier Health, China.