Levels of sterols including δ7-dehydrogenase isolated from the tissues of marine animal products (20 species) were determined on 1.5% OV-17 columm of gas-liquid chromatography. The composition showed that the mussels and clams contained various sterols in their tissues : cholesterol, brassicasterol. 24-methylenecholesterol with some minor components such as 22-trans-norcholesta-5,22-dien-3β-ol, 22-cis-dehydrocholesterol, 22-trans-dehydrocholesterol, desmosterol, 7-dehydrocholesterol, campesterol, stigmasterol, β-sitosterol, isofucosterol, and 7-dehydrocholesterol which could be converted into vitamin D3 in the skin tissue of animal was present in the muscle of oyster, Crassostrea gigas. On the other hand, the others including gastropoda were predominantly composed of cholesterol. The minor sterols such as 24-methylenecholesterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol in the fish intestines are supposed to be derived from dietary plankton. Cholesterol δ7-dehydrogenase which could convert cholesterol into δ7-dehydrogenase was present in the pickles of Tricurus haumela intestine.

Compositional and quantitative changes of 4-desmethylsterols in soybean (Glycine max. cv. Gangrim) seed and pod at six stages of development from flowering were investigated. The content of 4-desmethyl-, 4-monomethyl- and 4,4-dimethylsterols in developing soybean seed and pod was found to vary between 0.16-0.35, 0.04-0.12 and 0.04-0.06%, respectively. The predominating 4-desmethylsterols were sitosterol, campesterol and stigmasterol. The proportion of sitosterol in seed decreased to 57.0% with maturation, while in pod increased up to 88.7%. △7,22,25 Stigmastatrienol estimated 7.5% was detected in the fully mature seed.

Background : Ginseng root rot is a devastating disease caused by the fungus, Ilyonectria mors-panacis that generally attacks younger roots (-2 years), leading to defects in root quality, ginsenoside accumulation and also life cycle of the plant. Hence, there is an indispensable need to develop strategies resulting in tolerance against ginseng root rot. The protective role of silicon during pathogen infestation is well documented in other plant systems and a previous study demonstrated that silica nanoparticles are absorbed and accumulated more than the bulk silica in maize. However, the role of silica in ginseng-root rot pathosystem is unknown. Methods and Results : In the present study, we evaluated the effect of silica nanoparticles (N-SiO2) in Panax ginseng during I. mors-panacis infection. Long term analysis (30 dpi) revealed a striking 50% reduction in disease severity index upon 1 mM and 2 mM treatment of N-SiO2. However, N-SiO2 did not have any direct antifungal activity against I. mors-panacis. Candidate genes and metabolites based approach revealed jasmonic acid (JA) mediated sterol accumulation and incresed ginsenside biosyntesis as the key transcriptional reprogramming events orchestrated by N-SiO2 during the fungal infection. Conclusion : In a nut shell, N-SiO2 administration induces transcriptional reprogramming in ginseng roots, leading to increased phytosterol and ginsenosides synthesis resulting in enhanced tolerance against I. mors-panacis.

Surface sediments and seawater were sampled at Masan and Haengam Bays of Korea, to evaluate contamination by sewage-derived organic matter using fecal sterols. Six stream-water samples into Masan and Haengam Bays were also sampled. Total concentrations of eight sterols (coprostanol, epichloestanol, epicoprostanol, cholesterol, cholestanol, brassicasterol, stigmasterol and β-sitosterol) were in the range of 1,274～4,768 ㎍/g dry weight in suspended particulate from the stream-water, 292～2,244 ㎍/g dry weight in suspended particulate from the seawater and 4.5～27.2 ㎍/g dry weight in the sediments. Although sterol compositions in sediments, seawater and stream-water were different, cholesterol was the predominant sterol in all samples. The proportion and concentration of coprostanol, a sewage tracer, in stream-water was much higher than those in sediment and seawater. The sterol levels including coprostanol in the sediments and seawater were higher at inner basin than at the outer bay. Some molecular indices and multivariate statistical analysis were used to assess the origin of these sterols and sewage contamination in the study area. The sterol composition patterns in stream-water were mainly associated with contamination by sewage-derived organic matters and those of seawater were associated with the activities of marine-originated organisms. Sterol levels in the sediments were both from the sewage input through stream-water and the marine- originated organisms. This survey suggests that the main source/route of sewage-derived organic matters in Masan Bay is the input of stream-water into the bay.

Surface sediments (0~4 cm) were sampled at 40 stations from Ulsan Bay and its adjacent areas of Korea, to evaluate the contamination by sewage-derived organic matters using fecal sterols. Some sterols were quantified by gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC/MS). Total concentrations of eight sterols (coprostanol, cholesterol, cholestanol, epicholestanol, epicoprostanol, β-sitosterol, brassicasterol, and stigmasterol) in the sediments from Ulsan Bay and its vicinity varied from 929 to 23,444 ng/g dry weight. The most predominant sterols were cholesterol and coprostanol, accounting for 33~72% of total sterols. The concentration of coprostanol known as the indicator of human feces ranged from 141 to 8,257 ng/g dry weight. In particular, the coprostanol concentrations in the sediments from Jansaengpo Harbor and Taehwa River exceeded the value of 1,000 ng/g dry weight, suggesting that these areas could be considered as the hot-spot zones by municipal sewage contamination. Some molecular indices and multivariate data analysis were used to assess the origin of these sterols in the sediments. Results showed that the major routes of sewage contamination in Ulsan Bay and its vicinity were the input through Jansaengpo Harbor and Taehwa River.