Plant sterols in finnish blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) and lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) seed oils

The aim of the research was to analyse the esterified and free sterol contents of Finnish blueberry (Vaccinium myrtillus L.) and lingonberry (Vaccinium vitis-idaea L.) seed oils. The seed oils were extracted with methanol: chloroform (1:2 v/v) and the esterified and free sterols were fractionated with SepPak-cartridges. Sterols were analysed as trimethylsilyl ether (TMS) derivatives with GC-MS. The quantification of sterols was carried out with cholesterol as an internal standard. The contents of free sterols in blueberry and lingonberry seed oils were 6,6 g/ kg and 5,3 g/ kg, respectively. Steryl ester contents were 2,6 g/ kg and 5,6 g/ kg in blueberry and lingonberry, respectively. 0 Sitosterol constituted 85 - 88 % of free sterols and 55 - 60 % of esterified sterols in blueberries, In lingonberries the corresponding values were 80 - 85 % and 44 - 47 %, respectively. The other sterol compounds identified were campesterol, stigmasta-5,24(24(1))-dien-3beta-ol, cycloartenol, stigmasta-7,24(24(1))-dien-,3beta-ol, 24-methylenecycloartanol, stigmasta-8,24(24(1))-dien-3beta-ol, 4-methylstigmasta-7,24(24(1))-dien-3beta-ol and stigmasta-3beta-ol.