Steroids in Germfree and Conventional Rats

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Abstract
A fraction of solvolyzable sterol conjugates having the chromatographic properties of steryl sulphates was isolated from faeces of germfree and conventional rats. The major sterols in this fraction were studied by gas‐liquid chromatography and gas chromatography‐mass spectrometry. Cholesterol, desmosterol, lathosterol, campesterol, methostenol, and β‐sitosterol were the predominant solvolyzable sterols in conventional animals, whereas cholesterol, desmosterol, and β‐sitosterol were the quantitatively most important sulphurylated sterols in germfree animals. The relative amounts of conjugated lathosterol was significantly higher in the conventional than in the germfree animals. Solvolyzable conjugates of sterols with a 3β, 5β‐configuration could not be found.