Plant sterols (also called as phytosterols) are a group of steroid alcohol, phytochemicals naturally occurring in plants. They are white powders with mild, characteristic odor, insoluble in water and soluble in alcohols. They have many applications as food additives, and in medicine and cosmetics
any member of a class of steroids containing a hydroxyl group in the 3-position of the A-ring; they are found in all animal and plant tissue and play an important role in hormone chemistry