Mass Spectrometry Characterization of the 5α-, 7α-, and 7β-Hydroxy Derivatives of β-Sitosterol, Campesterol, Stigmasterol, and Brassicasterol

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Abstract
The 5α-hydroperoxides of β-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and brassicasterol were obtained by photooxidation of the respective sterols in pyridine in the presence of hematoporphyrine as sensitizer. The reduction of the hydroperoxides gives the corresponding 5α-hydroxy derivatives. The 7α- and 7β-hydroperoxides of the sterols were obtained by allowing an aliquot of the 5α-hydroperoxides to isomerize to 7α-hydroperoxides, which in turn epimerize to 7β-hydroperoxides. The reduction gave the corresponding 7α- and 7β-hydroxy derivatives. The 5α-, 7α-, and 7β-hydroxy derivatives of β-sitosterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, and brassicasterol were identified by comparing thin-layer chromatography mobilities, specific color reactions, and mass spectral data with those of the corresponding hydroxy derivatives of cholesterol, which were synthesized in the same manner. The phytosterols had the same behavior to photooxidation as cholesterol and, moreover, the different phytosterols photooxidized at about the same rate. The mass spectra of the trimethylsilyl ethers of the hydroxy derivatives of the phytosterols investigated and of the corresponding hydroxy derivatives of cholesterol have the same fragmentation patterns and similar relative ion abundances. Keywords: Sterols; phytosterols; hydroxysterols; photooxidation; gas chromatography/mass spectrometry; GC/MS; mass spectra; trimethylsilyl ether