Phytosterol content in seven oat cultivars grown at three locations in Sweden

The total and individual sterol content in 21 oat samples (seven cultivars grown at three different locations in Sweden) were analysed by gas chromato graphy after acid hydrolysis. The total sterol content in these oat cultiva rs varied between 350-491 mu g g(-1) of dry weight of kernel. The most abun dant phytosterol was p-sitosterol (237-321 mu g g(-1)) followed by campeste rol (32-46 mu g g(-1)), Delta(5)-avenasterol (15-47 mu g g(-1)) and stigmas terol (11-21 mu g g(-1)). There was a statistically significant difference in total sterol content between cultivars (p < 0.05) but no effect was foun d for cultivation location. Furthermore when contents of Delta(5)-avenaster ol in hexane-extracted oat oil and acid-hydrolysed oat samples were compare d, it was noticed that the content of Delta(5)-avenasterol was lowered due to acid hydrolysis. (C) 1999 Society of Chemical Industry.