Figure 3.

Phytosterols metabolism towards the regulation of cholesterol absorption. When phytosterol-rich foods are consumed, they are processed by liver enzymes that are comparable to those used to break down choletserol. It will reach the enterocytes after digestion, where phytosterol metabolism differs from cholesterol metabolism. Because these phytosterols are poor substrates of acyl-coA cholesterol actytransferase, they are not esterified and remain in the free form within the cell. Finally, the ATP-driven transporter heterodimer ABCG5/8 excretes the bulk of the free plant sterols back into the interstinal lumen.